Sex differences in killifish fins reveal signs of sexual selection
Andrea Herbert Mainero is a former MGAP student and first author of this study published in Acta Zoologica.
13.07.2022
Herbert Mainero, A., Al-Jufaili, S. M., Jawad, L., & Reichenbacher, B. (2023). Sex dimorphism and evidence of sexually selected traits: A case study on the killifish Aphaniops stoliczkanus (Day, 1872). Acta Zoologica, 104, 473–487. https://doi.org/10.1111/azo.12436
In this study on the freshwater killifish Aphaniops stoliczkanus shows clear physical differences between males and females, especially in their fins. Males have longer and more forward-positioned anal and dorsal fins, traits that may have evolved through sexual selection to attract mates. While these differences are strong in body shape, they are not seen in other traits like fin ray counts or ear bone shape. The findings suggest that fin size and placement could be important for understanding how these fish species have evolved over time. This research also helps scientists better interpret fossil fish remains, where such differences can be hard to detect.
