Experimental evidence of female choice in Lake Malawi cichlids

To date, most research on sexual selection has focused on the discrimination between attributes of individuals of the opposite sex. We have demonstrated female discrimination of a male behavioral character, bower size, by experimentally manipulating bower height in a lek of cichlid fishes from Lake Malawi, Africa. Eggs increased significantly (p<0.01) with large (15 cm) and extra large (30 cm) artificial bowers. Males with extra large bowers received a 50% greater increase in eggs laid than those with just large bowers.