Male interactions in a group of Malaŵi cichlids

Abstract

The haplochromine cichlids of the East African rift lakes comprise one of the most diverse radiations of vertebrates. The goal of the study was to investigate sexual selection in the Mbuna, a group of Lake Malaŵi haplochromine cichlids. In particular, the effects of male morphology, dominance behaviour, and territory were investigated in the context of female territory visits and male territory preference analyses. Female visits of males in the field were associated with aspects of male behaviour, body depth, and territory. Data from the laboratory suggest that males hold similar preferences for types of territory which to defend. It is suggested that male–male interaction should be given more attention in the study of the reproductive isolation and differential male mating success in the Mbuna cichlids of Lake Malaŵi.

Key Words:

• male competition
• lekking
• sexual selection
• dominance
• haplochromines
• Mbuna

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Fish were housed and treated in accordance with the Rutgers University's Animal Care and Use Policy Protocol 04-037. We thank the Malaŵi government for allowing the collection of the fish. We would also like to thank the many individuals who helped us at the lake, most notably Jay Stauffer. We also thank the thoughtful comments of reviewers who helped to greatly improve this draft. The field study was funded by a US Department of Education GAANN Fellowship and an NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant awarded to R.C. Jordan.