FEMALE GUPPIES USE ORANGE AS A MATE CHOICE CUE - A MANIPULATIVE TEST

Female guppies from a feral South African population respond sexually to more orange males in correlative trials. We impaired the female's a bility to use orange elements of male colour patterns by conducting ch oice trials under orange light. Under orange light, there was no relat ionship between male colour pattern and female sexual response, but un der white and hue light treatments there was such a relationship. Othe r male ornaments were not preferred by females either under normal lig hting conditions or when their ability to use orange as a cue was impa ired. The implications for sexual selection theory and the evolution o f multiple male ornaments are discussed.