PARASITES, AGGRESSION AND DOMINANCE IN MALE UPLAND BULLIES

The effects of the digenean trematode parasite Telogaster opistorchis on aggression and competitive ability in male upland bullies (Gobiomorphus breviceps) were examined using mirror-image stimulation (MIS) techniques and dyadic contests for nest sites between pairs of males. Parasite load had no significant effect on male aggression or success in dyadic contests, nor was aggression a predictor of the likely winner of these contests. The results are discussed with relation to the role of parasites in male-male competition and to possible problems in using MIS techniques for studies on dominance and aggression in fish. (C) 1991 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles