Data from: Mate sampling and choosiness in the sand goby

To date, mate choice studies have mostly focused on establishing which mates are chosen or how the choices are performed. Here, we combined these two approaches by empirically testing how latency to mate is affected by various search costs, variation in mate quality and female quality in the sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus). Our results show that females adjust their mating behaviour according to the costs and benefits of the choice situation. Specifically, they mated sooner when access to males was delayed and when the presence of other females presented a mate sampling cost. We also found a positive link between size variation among potential mating partners and spawning delay in some (but not all) experimental conditions. By contrast, we did not find the number of available males or the females' own body size ('quality') to affect mating latency. Finally, female mating behaviour varied significantly between years. These findings are notable for demonstrating that (i) mate sampling time is particularly sensitive to costs and, to a lesser degree, to variation among mate candidates, (ii) females' mating behaviour is sensitive to qualitative rather than to quantitative variation in their environment, and (iii) a snapshot view may describe mate sampling behaviour unreliably.迄今为止，择偶研究大多聚焦于两大核心方向：一是明确雌性会选择何种配偶，二是阐明择偶行为的具体执行机制。本研究将二者结合，以沙鰕虎（sand goby, *Pomatoschistus minutus*）为实验对象，通过实证检验不同搜索成本、配偶质量变异以及雌性自身质量对交配潜伏期的影响。研究结果表明，雌性会根据择偶场景中的成本与收益调整自身的择偶行为。具体而言，当雄性的可获取时间被延迟，以及其他雌性的存在带来择偶取样成本时，雌性会更早完成交配。此外，在部分（而非全部）实验条件下，我们发现潜在交配伴侣间的体型变异与产卵延迟呈正相关关系。与之相反，我们未发现可获取雄性的数量，或是雌性自身的体型（即其‘质量’）对交配潜伏期存在影响。最后，雌性的择偶行为在不同年份间存在显著差异。本研究的这些发现具有重要意义，其证实了以下三点：其一，择偶取样时长对成本尤为敏感，而对潜在配偶间的变异仅存在较弱的敏感性；其二，雌性的择偶行为对环境中的质变异而非量变异更为敏感；其三，仅依靠快照式视角可能无法可靠地描述择偶取样行为。