Prior exposure to male phenotypes influences mate choice in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata

This study examined the effect of experience on the pattern of mate choice in female guppies. Females from some natural populations are known to discriminate among males on the basis of the relative area of orange in the color pattern. We exposed maturing Female guppies to groups of males that differed in phenotypic distribution of orange coloration (high orange, low orange, and mixed) and tested their subsequent mating preferences. Females that had bren exposed to high-orange or low-orange male groups showed no discrimination in choice tests, but females exposed re:, mixed male groups favored high-orange males over low-orange males. These results demonstrate that mating preferences of females can be modified depending on prior experience. Females may he able to adjust their pattern of mate choice depending on the degree to which choice cuts permit effective discrimination among males. This potential for short-term modification of mate choice patterns could affect the evolutionary outcome of sexual selection.