Publication
Title
The effect of an audience on intrasexual communication in male Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens
Author
Abstract
The evolution of signals has mainly been considered in the context of an emitter-receiver dyadic interaction. However, communication usually occurs in the presence of individuals (an audience) that are not directly involved in the communication interaction, and it is more realistic to assume that signal evolution occurs in a network. Several types of information could be available to an audience, and, therefore, the presence of an audience could have effects on the behavior of the communicating animals and on signal evolution. We investigated whether the presence of an audience of conspecifics affected intrasexual aggressive communication in male fighting fish. We found that if the audience was a female, males increased the intensity of conspicuous displays that can be used in communication with both males and females and decreased highly aggressive displays that are solely directed to males. If the audience was a male of similar size, there was no significant change in the way in which males displayed. These results suggest that the presence of an audience could be one reason that many long-range and conspicuous signals are often shaped to transmit information to both males and females.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Behavioral ecology / International Society for Behavioral Ecology. - New York, NY
Source (book)
8th International Behavioral Ecology Congress, AUG 10, 2000, ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
Publication
Cary : Oxford univ press inc , 2001
ISSN
1045-2249
DOI
10.1093/BEHECO/12.3.283
Volume/pages
12 :3 (2001) , p. 283-286
ISI
000168710200007
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 03.01.2013
Last edited 04.12.2021
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