Implications Of Multiple Mating For Offspring Relatedness And Shoaling Behaviour In Juvenile Guppies

Main Category: Veterinary
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 04 Sep 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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In this paper we use guppies to show that differences in the level of relatedness between singly-sired broods (which are always full siblings) and multiply-sired broods (which can comprise either full- or half-siblings) can have important consequences for offspring social behaviour.

We found that full-siblings spent more time shoaling in close proximity than half-siblings, revealing an apparent innate ability of juvenile guppies to discriminate among brood mates according to their level of genetic similarity.

Shoaling, in turn, confers important antipredator, and potentially kin-selected, benefits. Our results therefore also point to a potential cost of polyandry: the reduced social cohesion of brood members with potentially important fitness implications

Royal Society journal Biology Letters

Biology Letters publishes short, innovative and cutting-edge research articles and opinion pieces accessible to scientists from across the biological sciences. The journal is characterised by stringent peer-review, rapid publication and broad dissemination of succinct high-quality research communications.

Biology Letters