Prioritizing Sex Recognition Over Learned Species Recognition: Hierarchical Mate Recognition in an Invasive Fish

Mate recognition is the process of identifying and assessing appropriate species, sex or population another individual for their suitability as a potential mate. Recognition may be innate learned. Learning, acquisition knowledge skills through experience, involves relatively long-term change in behavioral responses. In this study we examined learned mate invasive male mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki , interacting with female conspecifics native toothcarp, Aphanius iberus . Male mosquitofish directed no mating attempts at toothcarp whereas numerous were made toward toothcarp. therefore differentiated between males females, but initially did not distinguish con- heterospecific females. Neither presence nor refugia affected number received by However, second day appeared to learn more accurately direct attempts, larger receiving most attention, though smaller females still harassed. We propose that coercive system, are selected persistence despite rejection mates. scenario, pool mates include heterospecifics whose avoidance ignored mosquitofish. It thus adaptive prioritize over species recognition: if one recognized “non-mate” will cut 50% from single remove many fewer pool. This together rapid learning identity factor success