Manipulating the need for help in a cooperatively breeding cichlid: Space competition affects helpers' ability to respond

Evidence that competition among helpers affects helping behavior in cooperative breeding animals may shed light on our understanding of the "helping at the nest" phenomenon. Recent research on cooperatively breeding cichlids (Neolamprologus brichardi and N. pulcher) from Lake Tanganyika suggests that helpers defend individual sub-territories within the family territory and, consequently, limit the access of other helpers to the nest. Here, we …