10.5061/DRYAD.9KV93
Nagel, Rebecca
University of Potsdam
Kirschbaum, Frank
Humboldt University of Berlin
Engelmann, Jacob
Bielefeld University
Hofmann, Volker
McGill University
Pawelzik, Felix
University of Potsdam
Tiedemann, Ralph
University of Potsdam
Data from: Male-mediated species recognition among African weakly electric
fishes
Dryad
dataset
2018
Campylomormyrus
Campylomormyrus tamandua
electrocommunication
pre-zygotic isolation
Campylomormyrus compressirostris
species discrimination
2018-01-18T13:56:05Z
2018-01-18T13:56:05Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.170443
16520 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Effective communication among sympatric species is often instrumental for
behavioural isolation, where the failure to successfully discriminate
between potential mates could lead to less fit hybrid offspring.
Discrimination between con- and heterospecifics tends to occur more often
in the sex that invests more in offspring production, i.e. females, but
males may also mediate reproductive isolation. In this study, we show that
among two Campylomormyrus African weakly electric fish species, males
preferentially associate with conspecific females during choice tests
using live fish as stimuli, i.e. when all sensory modalities potentially
used for communication were present. We then conducted playback
experiments to determine whether the species-specific electric organ
discharge (EOD) used for electrocommunication serves as the cue for this
conspecific association preference. Interestingly, only C.
compressirostris males associated significantly more with the conspecific
EOD waveform when playback stimuli were provided, while no such
association preference was observed in C. tamandua males. Given our
results, the EOD appears to serve, in part, as a male-mediated pre-zygotic
isolation mechanism among sympatric species. However, the failure of C.
tamandua males to discriminate between con- and heterospecific playback
discharges suggests that multiple modalities may be necessary for species
recognition in some African weakly electric fish species.
Male-mediated species recognition among African weakly electric fishesRaw
data associated with the paper "Male-mediated species recognition
among African weakly electric fishes". Information pertaining to
species, individual, experiment, and preference
behavior.Nageletal_RSOS.xlsx