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Cited by 49Animal Behavior and ReproductionReproductive biology and impacts on aquatic speciesNeuroendocrine regulation and behavior

Mate-guarding behavior enhances male reproductive success via familiarization with mating partners in medaka fish

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Yokoi, Saori, Ansai, Satoshi, Kinoshita, Masato, Naruse, Kiyoshi, Kamei, Yasuhiro, Young, Larry J., Okuyama, Teruhiro, Takeuchi, Hideaki·2016·Frontiers in Zoology
DOI 10.1186/s12983-016-0152-2PMC PMC4890520
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Male-male competition and female mating preference are major mechanisms of sexual selection, which influences individual fitness. How male-male competition affects female preference, however, remains poorly understood. Under laboratory conditions, medaka (Oryzias latipes) males compete to position themselves between a rival male and the female (mate-guarding) in triadic relationships (male, male, and female). In addition, females prefer to mate with visually familiar males. In the present study, to examine whether mate-guarding affects female preference via visual familiarization, we established a novel behavioral test to simultaneously quantify visual familiarization of focal males with females and mate-guarding against rival males. In addition, we investigated the effect of familiarization on male reproductive success in triadic relationships. RESULTS: Three fish (female, male, male) were placed separately in a transparent three-chamber tank, which allowed the male in the center (near male) to maintain closer proximity to the female than the other male (far male). Placement of the wild-type male in the center blocked visual familiarization of the far male by the female via mate-guarding. In contrast, placement of an arginine-vasotocin receptor mutant male, which exhibits mate-guarding deficits, in the center, allowing for maintaining close proximity to the female, did not block familiarization of the far male by the female. We also demonstrated that the reproductive success of males was significantly decreased by depriving females visual familiarization with the males. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that, at least in triadic relationships, dominance in mate-guarding, not simply close proximity, allows males to gain familiarity with the female over their rivals, which may enhance female preference for the dominant male. These findings focusing on the triadic relationships of medaka may contribute to our understanding of the adaptive significance of persistent mate-guarding, as well as female preference for familiar mates.

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  • In medaka fish, females preferentially mate with familiar males who successfully competed for proximity to the female the previous day.

    “In medaka fish, females preferentially mate with familiar males who successfully competed for proximity to the female the previous day (Yokoi et al. 2015, 2016).”

    From Oxytocin, Neural Plasticity, and Social Behavior (2021) · cites this paper as Yokoi et al. 2016

  • Oxytocin mediates mating preferences in polygamous species.

    “Oxytocin also mediates mating preferences in polygamous species.”

    From Oxytocin, Neural Plasticity, and Social Behavior (2021) · cites this paper as Yokoi et al. 2016

    The Background and Results discuss female mating preference in medaka and experiments involving the arginine-vasotocin receptor V1a2, not oxytocin. A search for oxytocin found no passage in our copy saying that it mediates mating preferences in polygamous species. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • In medaka fish, males typically mate indiscriminately and with no preference for familiarity.

    “By contrast, males typically mate indiscriminately and with no preference for familiarity.”

    From Oxytocin, Neural Plasticity, and Social Behavior (2021) · cites this paper as Yokoi et al. 2016

    The Background (page unavailable) says medaka females prefer visually familiar males and that medaka do not maintain monogamous relationships. Neither establishes whether males mate indiscriminately or prefer familiar females. A search for male mate choice and familiarity found no passage addressing those points. (LLM, conf=0.74)

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Research works printed but not linked: 37

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Authors
Yokoi, S., Ansai, S., Kinoshita, M., Naruse, K., Kamei, Y., Young, L. J., Okuyama, T., & Takeuchi, H.
Affiliations
  • National Institute for Basic Biology (JP)
  • Kyoto University (JP)
  • Emory University (US)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
  • Okayama University (JP)
Corresponding author
Takeuchi, Hideaki
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Zoology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2016-06-02
Volume
13
Issue
1
Pages
21-21
ISSN
1742-9994 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/s12983-016-0152-2
PMC
PMC4890520
OpenAlex
W2403507071
Cited by
49
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3
FWCI
2.56
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Zoology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • JSPS KAKENHI (26290003, 26115508)
  • Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows
  • Brain Science Foundation
  • Yamada Science Foundation
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Physiology › Reproductive biology and impacts on aquatic species
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
Keywords
mate guarding, medaka, female mate preference, male-male competition, sexual selection, male reproductive success, triadic relationships, male dominance

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