Abstract
Prior work has demonstrated that, following a predator inspection visit of
their own, guppies prefer to associate with individuals who inspected a predator
most closely. Based on this work, as well as studies of social learning in the
context of mate choice, we predicted that male guppies that observed but did not
participate in an inspection trial would subsequently choose to associate with the
closer of two inspectors. Our experimental protocol consisted of three treatments:
a control test in which an observer watched two fish consecutively, only one of
which was exposed to a predator, a sequential test in which an observer watched
two fish consecutively, both of which were exposed to the predator, and a social
test in which an observer watched two fish inspect simultaneously. We found no
preferences by the observer for either of the fish in any of the trials. Our results
suggest that direct interaction is a critical component to the development of
preferences in male guppies. We discuss our findings in light of game theoretical
treatments of cooperation.