Alternative male morphs solve sperm performance/longevity trade-off in opposite directions

Taborsky, Michael; Schütz, Dolores; Goffinet, Olivier; Doorn, G. Sander van

doi:10.1126/sciadv.aap8563

Cited by 31 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…In addition, our results show that some males produce intrinsically longer-living sperm than other males, which may reflect differences in quality or condition among males. Alternatively, males may invest differentially in sperm quality traits according to their role in sperm competition (Oliveira et al 2008;Taborsky and Brockmann 2010;Taborsky et al 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similar variation in sperm-egg distance may be the result of males assuming different spawning tactics, where sneaker males produce faster sperm, whereas dominant/territorial males produce long-living sperm (Burness et al 2004;Neff et al 2003;Taborsky et al 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, ovarian fluid may also differently affect sperm from males with diverse social status (associated with diverse sperm traits, as in many species with alternative reproductive tactics, e.g. Alonzo et al 2016;Taborsky et al 2018). In zebrafish, bigger males exhibit territorial-like behaviour, and those males, that are preferred by females are more likely to release sperm closer to the eggs and hence the ovarian fluid (Pyron 2003;Skinner and Watt 2007;Spence et al 2007;Uusi-Heikkila et al 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of ovarian fluid on sperm traits and its implications for cryptic female choice in zebrafish

2019

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In polyandrous mating systems, females maintain the opportunity to bias male fertilization success after mating in a process known as cryptic female choice. Mechanisms of cryptic female choice have been described both in internal and external fertilizers, and may affect fertilization processes at different stages before, during, and after fertilization. In internal fertilizers, females have substantial control over sperm storage and fertilization, whereas in external fertilizers, female control is limited. A key factor proposed to mediate cryptic female choice is the fluid surrounding the eggs, the ovarian fluid, as it may directly affect sperm performance. Here, we studied the role of ovarian fluid in post-mating sexual selection using the zebrafish, Danio rerio. Firstly, we assessed how ovarian fluid affects sperm swimming performance compared with freshwater. We focused on sperm motility, velocity, swimming trajectory, and longevity, all traits associated with competitive fertilization success in externally fertilizing fish. In a second step, we used a North Carolina II design to explore female, male, and female x male effects by testing sperm motility of 2 males in the ovarian fluid of 2 females in a total of 11 blocks. Our results indicate that the ovarian fluid affects sperm performance differently from freshwater. Specifically, sperm velocity, motility, and longevity were higher in the ovarian fluid than in freshwater, whereas sperm linearity and beat cross frequency showed the opposite pattern. Moreover, these effects varied according to male, female, and male x female identities, supporting the potential for cryptic female choice mediated by ovarian fluid in this species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of ovarian fluid on sperm traits and its implications for cryptic female choice in zebrafish

2019

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“…sperm morphology) between ARTs. Males adopting ARTs may face different fertilization environments [7], spatio-temporal fertilization dynamics [8][9][10] and/or risks of sperm competition [11]. Despite a growing number of studies, to our knowledge, there is no recently published comprehensive review or meta-analysis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm and alternative reproductive tactics: a review of existing theory and empirical data

Kustra

Alonzo

2020

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Males that exhibit alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) often differ in the risk of sperm competition and the energetic trade-offs they experience. The resulting patterns of selection could lead to between-tactic differences in ejaculate traits. Despite extensive research on male ARTs, there is no comprehensive review of whether and what differences in sperm traits exist between male ARTs. We review existing theory on ejaculate evolution relevant to ARTs and then conduct a comprehensive vote-counting review of the empirical data comparing sperm traits between males adopting ARTs. Despite the general expectation that sneaker males should produce sperm that are more competitive (e.g. higher quality or performance), we find that existing theory does not predict explicitly how males adopting ARTs should differ in sperm traits. The majority of studies find no significant difference in sperm performance traits between dominant and sneaker males. However, when there is a difference, sneaker males tend to have higher sperm performance trait values than dominant males. We propose ways that future theoretical and empirical research can improve our understanding of the evolution of ejaculate traits in ARTs. We then highlight how studying ejaculate traits in species with ARTs will improve our broader knowledge of ejaculate evolution. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fifty years of sperm competition’.

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“…We predicted that sneaker males, given their higher risk of sperm competition, should produce ejaculates with more sperm, sperm that swim faster, for longer, and/or that their sperm should have enhanced morphology ( e.g ., longer tails (Cardullo & Baltz, ; Gomendio & Roldan, )) as a strategy to better compete with guarder males. Given that a number of empirical studies have uncovered negative correlations between sperm swimming speed and longevity (Burness et al ., ; Stockley et al ., ; Taborsky et al ., ), we were also prepared for the possibility that only one or some of these sperm characteristics would be enhanced in sneaker males. We also predicted that sperm maturation processes should improve sperm performance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm maturation and male tactic‐specific differences in ejaculates in the plainfin midshipman fishPorichthys notatus

Miller

Bose

Fitzpatrick

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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Using the plainfin midshipman fish Porichthys notatus, a species with alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs), we investigated how sperm maturation shapes sperm competitive abilities. We compared sperm performance and morphology before and after final sperm maturation by sampling sperm from the testes and stripped ejaculates of guarders and sneakers. In accordance with sperm competition risk theory, ejaculates from sneaker males had three times as much sperm as ejaculates from guarder males and sneaker males produced faster swimming sperm than guarder males, but this was only the case after final sperm maturation had occurred. Additionally, fully mature sperm found in ejaculates had larger heads and midpieces than sperm found in the testes. These results emphasize the important role played by non‐sperm components of an ejaculate in mediating sperm performance and potentially also morphology.

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Alternative male morphs solve sperm performance/longevity trade-off in opposite directions

Abstract: Bourgeois and parasitic males produce sperm maximizing either performance or endurance, according to divergent spawning roles.

Cited by 31 publications

References 67 publications

Effects of ovarian fluid on sperm traits and its implications for cryptic female choice in zebrafish

Effects of ovarian fluid on sperm traits and its implications for cryptic female choice in zebrafish

Sperm and alternative reproductive tactics: a review of existing theory and empirical data

Sperm maturation and male tactic‐specific differences in ejaculates in the plainfin midshipman fishPorichthys notatus

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