Influence of ambient water coloration on habitat and conspecific choice in the female Lake Malawi cichlid, <i>Metriaclima zebra</i>

Abstract Female cichlid fish living in African great lakes are known to have sensory systems that adapted ambient light environments. These system adaptations hypothesized influenced the evolution of diverse male nuptial coloration. In rock-dwelling Lake Malawi mbuna cichlids, however, extent which environments influence female and potentially associated coloration remains unknown. Yet, ubiquitous blue flank UV reflection cichlids suggest potential impacts blue-shifted environment on these cichlid’s visual perception shallow water depth Malawi. present study, we explored whether how bias females influences intersexual communication cichlid, Metriaclima zebra. A series choice experiments various showed M. zebra 1) a preference for environment, 2) prefer interact with males environments, 3) do not show between dominant subordinate full-spectrum, long-wavelength filtered, short-wavelength filtered 4) “reversed” UV-filtered environment. results may be biased spectra their natural habitat by local adaptation this reflective patterns