SCHOOLING PREFERENCES FOR FAMILIAL FISH IN THE GUPPY, POECILIA-RETICULATA

Although schooling behaviour is an important antipredator response of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) in Trinidad it is not known whether fish elect to school with particular individuals. Familiarity is a simple mechanism that could lead to non-random associations within schools. I n this paper we test the idea that prior experience of particular indi viduals influences the choice of partners during schooling. We show (i n a laboratory study) that female guppies prefer to associate with fam iliar individuals. However, we are unable to detect any schooling pref erence for unfamiliar females from the same population.