The early sperm gets the good egg: mating order effects in free spawners

Marshall, Dustin J.; Steinberg, Peter D.; Evans, Jonathan P.

doi:10.1098/rspb.2004.2790

Cited by 28 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Moreover, like other sea urchins, H. erythrogramma is likely to be subject to strong selection on sperm performance because sperm from multiple males often compete to fertilize eggs, and the first sperm that reaches an egg (i.e. faster swimming sperm) experiences a fertilization advantage and sires higher quality offspring (Marshall et al 2004). To assess the relationship between sperm length and velocity, we develop a novel method that measures both variables in individual sperm cells.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking sperm length and velocity: the importance of intramale variation

2010

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Selection imposed through sperm competition is commonly thought to promote the evolution of longer sperm, since sperm length is assumed to be positively associated with sperm swimming velocity. Yet, the basis for this assumption remains controversial, and there is surprisingly little intraspecific evidence demonstrating such a link between sperm form and function. Here, we show that sperm length and velocity are highly correlated in the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma, but importantly we report that failure to account for within-male variation in these sperm traits can obscure this relationship. These findings, in conjunction with the mounting evidence for extremely high levels of intraspecific variance in sperm traits, suggest that a functional link between sperm morphology and velocity may be more prevalent than what current evidence suggests. Our findings also suggest that selection for faster swimming sperm may promote the evolution of longer sperm, thereby supporting recent findings from macroevolutionary studies.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking sperm length and velocity: the importance of intramale variation

2010

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“…In laboratory and field manipulations, researchers examining such systems have identified variance in male success associated with distance to the female (Yund & McCartney 1994) and effects of timing (i.e. precedence) (Marshall et al 2004). However, found that the estimate of the minimum number of males fertilizing broods of the tunicate Botryllus schlosseri did not vary between high and low density populations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Male reproductive success during spawning events of the octocoral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae

Lasker¹,

Gutiérrez‐Rodríguez²,

Bala³

et al. 2008

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Many sessile organisms rely on the transport of one or both types of gametes for reproductive success. While sperm limitation has been reported in some species, high fertilization success has been observed in others including the branching octocoral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae. In such cases, males may compete for eggs to fertilize and the local dispersion of sperm will be an important component of male success. Individual reproductive success of 91 male P. elisabethae colonies found within a 400 m 2 area on San Salvador Island, Bahamas was examined based on microsatellite analysis of planulae collected from female colonies. Larvae which were brooded on the surface of 4 different females were collected during 2 separate spawning events. Males in the study area were sampled, and parentage was assessed using 5 microsatellite loci and the paternity assignment program CERVUS 3.0. Twenty-five percent of the larvae were assigned sires with ≥80% likelihood and 87% of the planulae could have been sired by males within the study area. The success of males was not related to either distance to the female or to male colony size. On average, successful sperm only travelled 5.2 m and the success of individual males within the 400 m 2 study site was not significantly different from random expectations. Male P. elisabethae may follow spawning strategies that increase the likelihood of siring some planulae, spread success across multiple females and reduce variance in reproductive success.KEY WORDS: Gorgonian coral · Microsatellites · Paternity · Sperm · Dispersal · Male reproductive success Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 367: [153][154][155][156][157][158][159][160][161] 2008 studies have typically been based on paternity analysis of embryos produced in controlled matings involving only a few individuals (Yund & McCartney 1994, Yund 1995. The only study examining paternity in a natural spawning event (Coffroth & Lasker 1998) examined a population of the octocoral Plexaura kuna, in which there were only a few potential sires. Although these studies provide insights into the factors controlling mating patterns, they do not address sperm dispersal and reproductive success in most natural populations in which numerous males are present.The development of highly polymorphic DNA genetic markers such as microsatellites, has increased the possibility of assessing paternity within local populations containing multiple males. For instance, a large number of investigations in plants have used microsatellites to estimate the contribution of pollen dispersal to gene flow, and to assess mating patterns and male reproductive success in natural plant populations (Dow & Ashley 1998, Streiff et al. 1999, Konuma et al. 2000, Lian et al. 2001. In this study, we used microsatellites to assess male reproductive success and sperm dispersal in a population of the branching octocoral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae.Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae is a gorgoniid alcyonacean wit...

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“…To measure eggs, larvae or metamorphosed juveniles, we placed them under a dissecting microscope in a small Petri dish containing filtered seawater and captured images using a digital camera attached to a microscope. Later, we used ImagePro V.4 to digitally measure the largest diameter (for eggs or metamorphosed juveniles) or longest larval length as described previously (Marshall et al, 2004). It should be noted that egg size, larval size and metamorphosed juvenile size are strongly correlated in this species (Marshall et al, 2004).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Later, we used ImagePro V.4 to digitally measure the largest diameter (for eggs or metamorphosed juveniles) or longest larval length as described previously (Marshall et al, 2004). It should be noted that egg size, larval size and metamorphosed juvenile size are strongly correlated in this species (Marshall et al, 2004).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We collected gametes from adults within 3 days of collection from the field. Eggs were fertilized using standard protocols (Marshall et al, 2004) with sperm pooled from at least three different males used as a sperm solution in each case. To measure eggs, larvae or metamorphosed juveniles, we placed them under a dissecting microscope in a small Petri dish containing filtered seawater and captured images using a digital camera attached to a microscope.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Larval size and age affect colonization in a marine invertebrate

Marshall

Steinberg

2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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The relationship between offspring size and performance determines the optimal trade-off between producing many small offspring or fewer large offspring and the existence of this relationship has become a central tenet of life-history theory. For organisms with multiple life-history stages, the relationship between offspring size and performance is determined by the effects of offspring size in each life-history stage. Marine invertebrates have long been a model system for examining the evolutionary ecology of offspring size, and whilst offspring size effects have been found in several life-history stages, the crucial stage of colonization has received less attention. We examined the effect of offspring size on the settlement response of sea-urchin larvae (Heliocidaris erythrogramma) to preferred and less preferred host plants, how these effects changed over the larval period and estimated the success of juveniles in the field on preferred and less-preferred host plants. We found that smaller larvae became competent to respond to preferred host plant cues sooner than larger larvae but larger larvae rejected less-preferred host plants for longer than smaller larvae. Overall, smaller H. erythrogramma larvae are likely to have less dispersal potential and are more likely to settle in less-preferred habitats whereas larger larvae appear to have an obligately longer dispersal period but settle in preferred habitats. Our results suggest that marine invertebrates that produce non-feeding larvae may have the potential to affect the dispersal of their offspring in previously unanticipated ways and that offspring size is subject to a complex web of selection across life-history stages.

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The early sperm gets the good egg: mating order effects in free spawners

Cited by 28 publications

References 31 publications

Linking sperm length and velocity: the importance of intramale variation

Linking sperm length and velocity: the importance of intramale variation

Male reproductive success during spawning events of the octocoral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae

Larval size and age affect colonization in a marine invertebrate

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