Are bolder individuals more likely to choose heterospecific mates? A test in cyprinid fishes

Mating between different species is ubiquitous in nature. While environmental conditions and population density have been shown to affect the occurrence of heterospecific matings, much less is known about the potential role of individual characteristics. Here, we examined the association between boldness and mate choice to con- and heterospecifics in a cyprinid fish ( Pseudaspius sachalinensis ) which naturally hybridizes with congeneric species. We found a positive correlation between risk-taking tendency in an emergence test and a preference for heterospecific females. This finding suggests that bolder males may prefer novel phenotypes or are likely to make a wrong choice for their mating partners.