Guppies living in a stream have a variety of spot patterns, some of which provide good camouflage against the stones in the streambed and others of which make them stand out against the background, allowing potential mates to see them more easily. If a predator that hunted by sight were introduced to the stream, what would be the most likely long-term consequence for the guppy population?

Question

Alayna Rowland

Biology

23 July, 19:49

Guppies living in a stream have a variety of spot patterns, some of which provide good camouflage against the stones in the streambed and others of which make them stand out against the background, allowing potential mates to see them more easily. If a predator that hunted by sight were introduced to the stream, what would be the most likely long-term consequence for the guppy population?

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Koen Odonnell · Answer 1

The number of camouflaged guppies will increase while the number of uncamouflaged guppies will decrease. Since uncamouflaged guppies are easy to be noticed, predators will eat them. So their number must decrease. On the other hand, camouflaged guppies will remain hidden and their number will increase since they will mate each other.