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Table 1 Overview of experiments on male mate choice in mosquitofish Gambusia affinis

From: Male mate choice in mosquitofish: personality outweighs body size

Experiment

Hypotheses

Trial

Stimulus females

1

1. Male fish prefer the larger female and the preference is stronger in larger males

2. Males preferentially select the active female regardless of whether it is larger or smaller, selecting female’s activity over its body size

1–1

22-mm active versus 18-mm active

1–2

22-mm active versus 18-mm inactive

1–3

22-mm inactive versus 18-mm active

1–4

22-mm inactive versus 18-mm inactive

2

Males preferentially select the active female and the preference is stronger in more active males

2–1

22-mm inactive versus 22-mm active

2–2

22-mm active versus 22-mm active

  1. Eighty male individuals were divided into two groups of 40. Each of the 40 males underwent 4 two-choice mating trails in Experiment 1, where the effect of female body size on male mate choice was investigated and each of the other 40 males underwent 2 trials in Experiment 2 where the effect of female activity level on male mate choice was investigated