Egg viability decreases rapidly with time since ovulation in the rainbow darter Etheostoma caeruleum: implications for the costs of choosiness |
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| Authors: | R L Moran R M Soukup M Zhou R C Fuller |
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| Institution: | Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820, U.S.A. |
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| Abstract: | Egg viability in the rainbow darter Etheostoma caeruleum, a fish apparently lacking female mate choice, was found to decline rapidly after ovulation. It was observed that the majority of a female's clutch may fail to hatch if she is prevented from mating for as little as 6 h. These data suggest that exercising female mate preferences may be selectively disfavoured in E. caeruleum due to the high cost of delaying mating. |
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| Keywords: | egg overripening Etheostoma caeruleum female mate choice mate choice cost rainbow darter |
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