How FGF Morphogens Can Lead to Monogamy

Abstract: The study of monogamy in convict cichlids and what makes them distinct from other fish is vital to understand why their mating practices differ since these behaviors affect their chances of survival. Considering that most fish share DNA and brain structure, it's odd that convict cichlids have such distinct social behaviors. To ascertain why this is the case, a series of experiments were conducted to identify and compare the FGF gene expression in convict cichlid developmental stages to that of the zebrafish. The FGF morphogens FGF8b and FGF receptor 2 were chosen based on literature review, and the resulting gene expression patterns varied across embryonic stages, indicating a possible decrease in FGFr2 and an increase in FGF8b in convict cichlids compared to zebrafish.