In many species monogamy appears necessary for successful reproduction. In this regard many of the previous studies have emphasized the stability of the pair bond (e.g., one parent cannot rear the offspring alone). However, much anecdotal evidence exists illustrating that monogamous bonds do break with pair members often re-pairing with other mates. This proposed research looks more closely at the initiation of the monogamous pair bond and re- pairing during the courtship period (i.e., prior to the production of offspring). The monogamous fish, Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum, will be used as the experimental animal model. Considerable baseline information has been gathered revealing it to be ideal for this purpose. Questions considered are: What are the affects of the repairing process on future reproduction? Is the duration of the courtship period with the initial mate an important component to an individual's ability to secure and reproduce with a new mate? Will already paired individuals switch mates based on reproductive improvement? Finally, experiments are planned to explore preliminary observations that suggest that the development of the monogamous pair bond is influenced by the number of available mates and the presence of intruders. All of these areas of study will emphasize possible differences between males and females.
