SEXUAL HARASSMENT AS A COST FOR MOLLY FEMALES: BIGGER MALES COST LESS

Females of many species receive male attention that reflects a conflict between the sexes over reproduction. Here we demonstrate hat female sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna) suffer such a cost via a reduction of their feeding time in the presence of males. Female sailfin mollies spend significantly more time feeding when accompanied by an Amazon molly (P.formosa) or a sailfin molly female than when accompanied by a male sailfin molly. Furthermore, we show that male sexual harassment is size dependent and that small males impose a greater cost on females.