Comparative evaluation over time during mate choice in the green swordtail <em>Xiphophorus hellerii</em>

During mate choice, choosers are exposed to a variety of sexual signals varying in both magnitude and the environment in which they are experienced. Previous work assumes that choosers evaluate signal variation from potential mates that are simultaneously viewed and compared. However, this is an extreme scenario, and it is important to also consider sequential presentation of mates, as most animals likely experience both scenarios during mate choice. Using green swordtail fish (Xiphophorus hellerii), we assessed whether female preferences for larger males differed when males of different sizes were experienced simultaneously or sequentially. We also investigated the perceptual mechanisms of comparison in both contexts, given recent research suggesting that female preferences are often non-linear. We found that females consistently preferred larger males, irrespective of whether males were experienced simultaneously or sequentially. However, female preferences were stronger for a male of..., , # Comparative evaluation over time during mate choice in the green swordtail *Xiphophorus hellerii* Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.jwstqjqp7](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jwstqjqp7) ## Description of the data and file structure This project concerns an investigation into how female green swordtail fish perceive male mate stimuli when presented in both a simultaneous and sequential context. Virtual images of male swordtails of differing body sizes were presented to the females both simultaneously and sequentially, in order to assess, based on association time, whether their strength of preference for larger males differed based on the type of presentation. The perceptual mechanisms of comparison over both types of presentation were also investigated, given recent research suggesting that female preferences are often non-linear. Analysis of the associated datasets confirms that female swordtails do generally prefer larger males, however this preference is stronger under simultaneous, ra...,