Alteration of reproductive behaviors by aromatase inhibition is population-dependent in an African cichlid fish

Although hormones are vital to an organism’s ability to respond to environmental stressors, they can be directly altered by the environment and impact reproductive behavior. For example, in some fishes, aquatic hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen) inhibits the aromatase enzyme that converts testosterone to estradiol. Here, we examined the effects of short-term aromatase inhibition on reproductive behavior in male Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor, a widespread African cichlid, from one normoxic river population and one hypoxic swamp population. We further tested the response of females to treated and untreated males. We predicted that aromatase inhibition would decrease courtship and competitive behaviors, but the swamp population would be less affected given generational exposure to hypoxia. Specifically, we compared competition and courtship behavior of males treated with a short-term exposure to an aromatase inhibitor with control fish from the two populations. We found that both courtship and ..., Male-Male Competition Experiment
To compare differences in aggression between males treated with an aromatase inhibitor and control males and the two populations, we measured aggression during male-male competition trials (n = 19 trials; 9 trials river population, 10 trials swamp population). Specifically, we measured aggression of males when competing with an individual from the same population but exposed to the opposite treatment (e.g., aromatase males vs control male). From the 30-minute male-male competition trial videos, we quantified the number of lateral displays (male is perpendicular to the other fish and spreads all fins), charges (rapid movement towards the opposing male) as well as the time active (i.e., moving in the water column vs maintaining a stationary position) of each male in the trial.
Male Courtship & Female Preference Experiment
After the male competition trials, we compared female preference and male courtship behaviors between males in the control and aroma..., These data were analyzed in Boris (video analysis software), and analyzed using R., # Population Variation in the Effects of Aromatase Inhibition on Reproductive Behaviors in male African Cichlid fish, Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor

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This data includes color and behavioral measurements of male cichlid* Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor that were in either control or aromatase inhibited treatments. This dataset includes two R scripts (Hormone Manipulationfinal.R and spec_fad.R), three datasheets and one zip folder containing spectrophometric data.

The script Hormone Manipulationfinal.R uses FadTrials.csv, Fad_hormone_data_R.xlsx, and FADbymale.xlsx as input files to analyze behavioral data. The script spec_fad.R uses the files in the Fad_renamed zip folder as input to analyze spectral color data.

## Description of the data and file structure

### FadTrials.csv

This dataset contains information from all behavioral trials for males and females. Data cells are empty if data was not collected for that individual.

*Trial:* The trial id number.

*Trial_type*: Tria...