Cross-context behavioral correlations and signals of aggression in females of a livebearing fish

Behaviors may be adaptively correlated with each other and with other aspects of phenotype. We investigated behavior across foraging, mating, and risk contexts in females of the poeciliid fish, Girardinus metallicus. We quantified relationships between these behaviors and aggression signals, body size, and reproductive output. Behaviors describing aggression and boldness, some of which were repeatable, were correlated in females. Aggression was signaled by the darkening of a black spot on the extended dorsal fin or by fin flaring. Spot darkening occurred during intra- and intersexual interactions and was positively correlated with inter-female aggression and negatively correlated with time females spent following males, suggesting that it honestly indicates motivational state. In contrast, fin flaring was only directed at females and occurred more frequently in the foraging context. Larger females had fewer offspring and received fewer courtship displays, possibly because they were more..., Data were collected by counting offspring for life history variables, measurement from images for morphology, direct observation for behaviors, and water-borne collection for cortisol. Data analysis was performed using JMP 16., , # GENERAL INFORMATION

1\. Title of Dataset: Cross-context behavioural correlations and signals of aggression in females of a livebearing fish

<[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g79cnp5pv>](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g79cnp5pv>)

2\. Author Information

A. Principal Investigator Contact Information

Name: Gita Kolluru

Institution: California Polytechnic State University

Address: San Luis Obispo, CA USA

Email:

3\. Date of data collection: 2011-2012

4\. Geographic location of data collection: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA USA

### Description of the data and file structure

1\. File List:

A) **Main dataset.csv**

B) **Repeatability in foraging and mating contexts.csv**

C) **Male aggression foraging experiment data.csv**

D) **Cortisol data.csv**

2\. Relationship among files, if important: None

3\. Additional related data collected that were not included in the current data package: None

### Datasets included

DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FO...