Behavior-dependent cis regulation reveals genes and pathways associated with bower building in cichlid fishes

Significance We do not fully understand how behavior evolves. Here we investigate the genomic basis of bower building among Lake Malawi cichlid fishes. Males construct bowers of two major types, pits and castles, to attract females in mating displays. Thousands of genetic variants are strongly associated with divergence in bower behavior. Remarkably, F 1 hybrids of pit-digging and castle-building species perform sequential construction of first...