Quick-change artists: male guppies pay no cost to repeatedly adjust their sexual strategies

Martina Magris, Gianluca Chimetto, Sofia Rizzi and Andrea Pilastro

Behavioral Ecology, 2018, vol. 29, issue 5, 1113-1123

Abstract: Being flexible in reproductive decisions is highly beneficial in variable environments, but flexibility may also entail costs. Male guppies modify their sperm production and sexual behavior when mating opportunities vary. We investigated lifetime effects of these responses. We show that repeatedly adjusting reproductive strategies has little cost for male guppies, as it does not compromise their condition, their lifespan, or the expression of sexual traits.

Keywords: phenotypic plasticity; plasticity costs; Poecilia reticulata; sexual selection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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