Abstract
The outcome of sperm competition in species with alternative male reproductive strategies may be determined by fair or loaded raffle mechanisms. The sperm production and quality of male Atlantic salmon using alternative reproductive tactics were investigated in order to determine the relative importance of sperm quality for male reproductive success. Sexually mature resident parr males produced greater numbers of spermatozoa per millilitre of ejaculate and invested more in their gonads as a percentage of body mass than their anadromous counterparts. Parr males had greater proportions of motile spermatozoa and a greater sperm ATP content as compared with anadromous males. Parr males invested relatively more in sperm quality and sperm numbers after the effect of body size was accounted for. In fertilization experiments, parr males fertilized greater proportions of eggs than anadromous males. A polynomial model exhibited a trade-off between testes mass and ejaculate expenditure and explained 60% of the variation. These results establish that, in sperm competition with dominant males, parr males may compensate for behavioural subordinance by producing physiologically superior spermatozoa.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (170.6 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Ball M. A., Parker G. A. Sperm competition games: external fertilization and "adaptive"' infertility. J Theor Biol. 1996 May 21;180(2):141–150. doi: 10.1006/jtbi.1996.0090. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Christen R., Gatti J. L., Billard R. Trout sperm motility. The transient movement of trout sperm is related to changes in the concentration of ATP following the activation of the flagellar movement. Eur J Biochem. 1987 Aug 3;166(3):667–671. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1987.tb13565.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- De gaudemar B, Beall E. Reproductive behavioural sequences of single pairs of Atlantic salmon in an experimental stream. Anim Behav. 1999 Jun;57(6):1207–1217. doi: 10.1006/anbe.1999.1104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dreanno C., Cosson J., Suquet M., Seguin F., Dorange G., Billard R. Nucleotide content, oxidative phosphorylation, morphology, and fertilizing capacity of turbot (Psetta maxima) spermatozoa during the motility period. Mol Reprod Dev. 1999 Jun;53(2):230–243. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2795(199906)53:2<230::AID-MRD12>3.0.CO;2-H. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kamp G., Büsselmann G., Lauterwein J. Spermatozoa: models for studying regulatory aspects of energy metabolism. Experientia. 1996 May 15;52(5):487–494. doi: 10.1007/BF01919321. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lahnsteiner F., Berger B., Weismann T. Sperm metabolism of the telost fishes Chalcalburnus chalcoides and Oncorhynchus mykiss and its relation to motility and viability. J Exp Zool. 1999 Sep 1;284(4):454–465. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-010x(19990901)284:4<454::aid-jez12>3.0.co;2-o. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Levitan D. R. Sperm velocity and longevity trade off each other and influence fertilization in the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus. Proc Biol Sci. 2000 Mar 22;267(1443):531–534. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2000.1032. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Moss A. G., Gatti J. L., King S. M., Witman G. B. Purification and characterization of Salmo gairdneri outer arm dynein. Methods Enzymol. 1991;196:201–222. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(91)96020-r. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Munkittrick T. W., Nebel R. L., Saacke R. G. Accessory sperm numbers for cattle inseminated with protamine sulfate microcapsules. J Dairy Sci. 1992 Mar;75(3):725–731. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(92)77809-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- doi: 10.1098/rspb.1997.0031. [DOI] [PMC free article] [Google Scholar]
- Perchec G., Cosson M. P., Cosson J., Jeulin C., Billard R. Morphological and kinetic changes of carp (Cyprinus carpio) spermatozoa after initiation of motility in distilled water. Cell Motil Cytoskeleton. 1996;35(2):113–120. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0169(1996)35:2<113::AID-CM4>3.0.CO;2-B. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]