1
|
Koçillari L, Cattelan S, Rasotto MB, Seno F, Maritan A, Pilastro A. Tetrapod sperm length evolution in relation to body mass is shaped by multiple trade-offs. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6160. [PMID: 39039080 PMCID: PMC11263692 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50391-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Sperm length is highly variable across species and many questions about its variation remain open. Although variation in body mass may affect sperm length evolution through its influence on multiple factors, the extent to which sperm length variation is linked to body mass remains elusive. Here, we use the Pareto multi-task evolution framework to investigate the relationship between sperm length and body mass across tetrapods. We find that tetrapods occupy a triangular Pareto front, indicating that trade-offs shape the evolution of sperm length in relation to body mass. By exploring the factors predicted to influence sperm length evolution, we find that sperm length evolution is mainly driven by sperm competition and clutch size, rather than by genome size. Moreover, the triangular Pareto front is maintained within endotherms, internal fertilizers, mammals and birds, suggesting similar evolutionary trade-offs within tetrapods. Finally, we demonstrate that the Pareto front is robust to phylogenetic dependencies and finite sampling bias. Our findings provide insights into the evolutionary mechanisms driving interspecific sperm length variation and highlight the importance of considering multiple trade-offs in optimizing reproductive traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Loren Koçillari
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Section INFN, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
- Institute for Neural Information Processing, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), D-20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Silvia Cattelan
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy.
- Fritz Lipmann Institute-Leibniz Institute on Aging, 07745, Jena, Germany.
| | | | - Flavio Seno
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Section INFN, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Amos Maritan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Section INFN, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Andrea Pilastro
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Santhosh S, Ebert D, Janicke T. Sperm competition favours intermediate sperm size in a hermaphrodite1. J Evol Biol 2024; 37:829-838. [PMID: 38738700 DOI: 10.1093/jeb/voae058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Sperm competition is a potent mechanism of postcopulatory sexual selection that has been found to shape reproductive morphologies and behaviours in promiscuous animals. Especially sperm size has been argued to evolve in response to sperm competition through its effect on sperm longevity, sperm motility, the ability to displace competing sperm, and ultimately fertilization success. Additionally, sperm size has been observed to co-evolve with female reproductive morphology. Theoretical work predicts that sperm competition may select for longer sperm but may also favour shorter sperm if sperm size trades-off with number. In this study, we studied the relationship between sperm size and postmating success in the free-living flatworm, Macrostomum lignano. Specifically, we used inbred isolines of M. lignano that varied in sperm size to investigate how sperm size translated into the ability of worms to transfer and deposit sperm in a mating partner. Our results revealed a hump-shaped relationship with individuals producing sperm of intermediate size having the highest sperm competitiveness. This finding broadens our understanding of the evolution of sperm morphology by providing empirical support for stabilizing selection on sperm size under sperm competition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Santhosh Santhosh
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, CH-4 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dieter Ebert
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, CH-4 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tim Janicke
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionelle et Evolutive, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dymek AM, Kirschbaum F, Tiedemann R, Siemiński K, Pecio A. A new type of spermiogenesis in teleost fish: Formation of the aflagellate sperm in Campylomormyrus compressirostris (Osteoglossomorpha: Mormyridae). ZOOLOGY 2024; 165:126186. [PMID: 38964201 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2024.126186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Osteoglossomorpha, the bony tongue fishes, show great variation in morphology, behavioural strategies, reproductive biology and gamete ultrastructure. The order Osteoglossiformes is the only vertebrate taxon, in which four types of sperm (monoflagellate, biflagellate and aflagellate aquasperm and the complex introsperm) have been described. It is also the only vertebrate lineage in which aflagellate spermatozoa exist. The aim of this study was to analyse the structure of the testis and the process of spermiogenesis in the mormyrid Campylomormyrus compressirostris during the breeding season using light and electron microscopy (transmission and scanning). Males of this species have a single testis of the anastomosing tubular type. The tubules of the anterior part of the testis contain cysts with developing germ cells, and this region is much wider than the posterior part, which consists of efferent ducts filled with sperm cells. The cysts are filled with single or mitotic spermatogonia, primary and secondary spermatocytes and early spermatids. At the stage of spermatids with fine granular chromatin, the cysts rupture and successive stages of spermatid differentiation take place in the testicular lumen; we therefore characterise this process as 'extracystic spermiogenesis'. Sperm development in C. compressirostris is extremely simple and involves chromatin condensation in the central region of the nucleus, a slight decrease in nuclear volume, the appearance of numerous vesicles in the cytoplasm that form a tubular-vesicular system at the base of the nucleus. Both centrioles and mitochondria are translocated to the peripheral region of the midpiece, which forms the opposite pole to the nucleus. There are many differences between the types of spermiogenesis described so far in teleosts and that found in C. compressirostris, including the loss of flagellum formation. This unique type of spermiogenesis is restricted to species of the families Mormyridae and Gymnarchidae, all of which possess aflagellate spermatozoa. Our data demonstrate that the spermatid differentiation and existence of the aflagellate spermatozoon are a unique phenomena not only among teleosts but also in the whole vertebrate lineage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Dymek
- Department of Small Livestock Breeding, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Krakowska 1, Balice n, Kraków 32-083, Poland
| | - Frank Kirschbaum
- Unit of Evolutionary Biology/Systematic Zoology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, Haus 26, Potsdam 14476, Germany; Unit of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Philippstr. 13, Haus 16, Berlin 10115, Germany
| | - Ralph Tiedemann
- Unit of Evolutionary Biology/Systematic Zoology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, Haus 26, Potsdam 14476, Germany
| | - Krzysztof Siemiński
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, Kraków 30-387, Poland
| | - Anna Pecio
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, Kraków 30-387, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Cao MH, Zou MM, Liu LL, Dong SJ, Huang MQ, Zheng JH, Li RN, Cui JD, Peng L. Sast1-mediated manifold effects inhibit Plutella xylostella fertility. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2024; 80:2596-2609. [PMID: 38252701 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) is a destructive pest of cruciferous crops due to its strong reproductive capacity and extensive resistance to pesticides. Seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) are the main effective factors that determine the reproductive physiology and behaviour of both sexes. Although an increasing number of SFPs have been identified, the effects of astacins in SFPs on agricultural pests have not yet been reported. Here, we elucidated the mechanisms by which Sast1 (seminal astacin 1) regulates the fertility of Plutella xylostella (L.). RESULTS PxSast1 was specifically expressed in the testis and accesssory gland. CRISPR/Cas9-induced PxSast1 knockout successfully constructed two homozygous mutant strains. Sast1 impaired the fertility of P. xylostella by separately regulating the reproductive capacity of males and females. Loss of PxSast1, on the one hand, significantly decreased the ability of males to mate and fertilize, mainly manifested as shortened mating duration, reduced mating competitiveness and decreased eupyrene sperm production; on the other hand, it significantly inhibited the expression of chorion genes in females, resulting in oogenesis deficits. Simultaneously, for mated females, the differentially expressed genes in signalling pathways related to oogenesis and chorion formation were significantly enriched after PxSast1 knockout. CONCLUSION These analyses of the functions of PxSast1 as the regulator of spermatogenesis and oogenesis establish its importance in the fertility process of P. xylostella, as well as its potential as a promising target for genetic regulation-based pest control. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min-Hui Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ming-Min Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Li-Li Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shi-Jie Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Meng-Qi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jun-Hao Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ruo-Nan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jin-Dong Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lu Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sherman CDH, Careau V, Gasparini C, Weston KJ, Evans JP. Population density effects on gamete traits and fertilisation dynamics under varying sperm environments in mussels. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11338. [PMID: 38698926 PMCID: PMC11063781 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Gamete traits can vary widely among species, populations and individuals, influencing fertilisation dynamics and overall reproductive fitness. Sexual selection can play an important role in determining the evolution of gamete traits with local environmental conditions determining the strength and direction of sexual selection. Here, we test for signatures of post-mating selection on gamete traits in relation to population density, and possible interactive effects of population density and sperm concentration on sperm motility and fertilisation rates among natural populations of mussels. Our study shows that males from high-density populations produce smaller sperm compared with males from low-density populations, but we detected no effect of population density on egg size. Our results also reveal that females from low-density populations tended to exhibit lower fertilisation rates across a range of sperm concentrations, although this became less important as sperm concentration increased. Variances in fertilisation success were higher for females than males and the effect of gamete compatibility between males and females increases as sperm concentrations increase. These results suggest that local population density can influence gamete traits and fertilisation dynamics but also highlight the importance of phenotypic plasticity in governing sperm-egg interactions in a highly dynamic selective environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Craig D. H. Sherman
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | - Vincent Careau
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OttawaOttawaOntarioCanada
| | | | - Kim J. Weston
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | - Jonathan P. Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Jarvis GC, Marshall DJ. Fertilization Mode Covaries with Body Size. Am Nat 2023; 202:448-457. [PMID: 37792921 DOI: 10.1086/725864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe evolution of internal fertilization has occurred repeatedly and independently across the tree of life. As it has evolved, internal fertilization has reshaped sexual selection and the covariances among sexual traits, such as testes size, and gamete traits. But it is unclear whether fertilization mode also shows evolutionary associations with traits other than primary sex traits. Theory predicts that fertilization mode and body size should covary, but formal tests with phylogenetic control are lacking. We used a phylogenetically controlled approach to test the covariance between fertilization mode and adult body size (while accounting for latitude, offspring size, and offspring developmental mode) among 1,232 species of marine invertebrates from three phyla. Within all phyla, external fertilizers are consistently larger than internal fertilizers: the consequences of fertilization mode extend to traits that are only indirectly related to reproduction. We suspect that other traits may also coevolve with fertilization mode in ways that remain unexplored.
Collapse
|
7
|
Degueldre F, Aron S. Sperm competition increases sperm production and quality in Cataglyphis desert ants. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230216. [PMID: 36987648 PMCID: PMC10050944 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm competition is a pervasive evolutionary force that shapes sperm traits to maximize fertilization success. Indeed, it has been shown to increase sperm production in both vertebrates and invertebrates. However, sperm production is energetically costly, which may result in trade-offs among sperm traits. In eusocial hymenopterans, such as ants, mating dynamics impose unique selective pressures on ejaculate. Males are sperm limited: they enter adulthood with a fixed amount of sperm that will not be renewed. We explored whether sperm competition intensity was associated with sperm quantity and quality (i.e. sperm viability and DNA fragmentation) in nine Cataglyphis desert ants. Our results provide phylogenetically robust evidence that sperm competition is positively correlated with sperm production and sperm viability. However, it was unrelated to sperm DNA integrity, indicating the absence of a trade-off involving this trait. These findings underscore that sperm competition may strongly mould sperm traits and drive reproductive performance in eusocial Hymenoptera.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Félicien Degueldre
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Brussels B-1050, Belgium
| | - Serge Aron
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Brussels B-1050, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
The sperm structure of the diving beetles Stictonectes optatus (Seidlitz, 1887) and Scarodytes halensis (Fabricius, 1787) (Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae) with evidence of a spermatostyle in the sperm conjugation. Micron 2023; 166:103412. [PMID: 36621034 DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2023.103412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The structure of the male genital organs and spermiogenesis of two diving beetles, Stictonectes optatus and Scarodytes halensis were studied for the first time. S. optatus shows unifollicular testes consisting of a long tubule apically forming a globular structure. The deferent duct epithelia show a secretory activity involved in the spermatostyle organization. They are connected with two very large accessory glands. Sc. halensis has a more common structure of the male genital apparatus with unifollicular cylindrical testes and very long deferent ducts. Sc. halensis accessory glands are smaller than those of S. optatus. The sperm structure in both species is characterized by a small acrosome, a flattened nucleus with a lateral extension containing a centriole from which a long flagellum originates. Both species exhibit sperm conjugation with long sperm bundles showing nuclei orderly arranged in sperm-heads stacks and free flagella. In addition, S. optatus has a thick layer of secretion surrounds these sperm-head stacks. Such a secretion is considered a spermatostyle. This finding represents the first record about the presence of this structure among Dytiscidae. In the flagellum, a typical axoneme with a 9 + 9 + 2 microtubular complex, and two mitochondrial derivatives are present in both species. Those of S. optatus have a peculiar shape with the apical side, in cross-section, displaying pointed corners. Two small accessory bodies are located between the axoneme and the two mitochondrial derivatives.
Collapse
|
9
|
Ribeiro YM, Moreira DP, Weber AA, Miranda TGR, Bazzoli N, Rizzo E. Chronic estrone exposure affects spermatogenesis and sperm quality in zebrafish (Danio rerio). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2023; 98:104058. [PMID: 36596390 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2022.104058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Estrone (E1) is a common environmental contaminant found in rivers and streams due to the farming of animals, such as swine and cattle. Our study evaluated the effects of chronic E1 exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations on spermatogenesis and the semen quality of zebrafish (Danio rerio). We exposed the fish to E1 at concentrations of 20, 200, and 2000 ng/L diluted in 0.001% ethanol (v/v) for 49 days. There were two control groups: one was exposed to water only and the other to ethanol at the same concentration used in the E1 groups. Following exposure, we analyzed the proportion of testicular cell types and other components (%), rate of cell proliferation and death, and sex steroid concentrations. Furthermore, we analyzed the expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), IGF2, IGF1 receptor (IGF1R), and inducible nitric oxide synthase and assessed the semen quality. E1 exposure increased spermatogonia, spermatids, Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, and the proportion of inflammatory infiltrate but decreased the spermatozoa amount. These changes were reflected by reductions in the gonadosomatic index and levels of 11-ketotestosterone in the testes. On the other hand, E1 exposure increased testicular estradiol, IGF1R expression, and nitric oxide production. After an evaluation using a computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system, we observed reduced progressive motility, curvilinear velocity, and beat cross frequency of 20 and 2000 ng/L E1 groups. Our findings support that E1 causes deleterious effects on the testicular function and semen quality of D. rerio even at environmental concentrations. Thus, E1 concentrations should be monitored in surface waters for the purposes of fish conservation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yves Moreira Ribeiro
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Davidson Peruci Moreira
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | - Nilo Bazzoli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, PUC Minas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Elizete Rizzo
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Lipshutz SE, Torneo SJ, Rosvall KA. How Female-Female Competition Affects Male-Male Competition: Insights into Postcopulatory Sexual Selection from Socially Polyandrous Species. Am Nat 2023; 201:460-471. [PMID: 36848510 DOI: 10.1086/722799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSexual selection is a major driver of trait variation, and the intensity of male competition for mating opportunities has been linked with sperm size across diverse taxa. Mating competition among females may also shape the evolution of sperm traits, but the effect of the interplay between female-female competition and male-male competition on sperm morphology is not well understood. We evaluated variation in sperm morphology in two species with socially polyandrous mating systems, in which females compete to mate with multiple males. Northern jacanas (Jacana spinosa) and wattled jacanas (J. jacana) vary in their degree of social polyandry and sexual dimorphism, suggesting species differences in the intensity of sexual selection. We compared mean and variance in sperm head, midpiece, and tail length between species and breeding stages because these measures have been associated with the intensity of sperm competition. We found that the species with greater polyandry, northern jacana, has sperm with longer midpieces and tails as well as marginally lower intraejaculate variation in tail length. Intraejaculate variation was also significantly lower in copulating males than in incubating males, suggesting flexibility in sperm production as males cycle between breeding stages. Our results indicate that stronger female-female competition for mating opportunities may also shape more intense male-male competition by selecting for longer and less variable sperm traits. These findings extend frameworks developed in socially monogamous species to reveal that sperm competition may be an important evolutionary force layered atop female-female competition for mates.
Collapse
|
11
|
Kvarnemo C, Green L, Svensson O, Lindström K, Schöld S, Griful‐Dones M, Havenhand JN, Leder EH. Molecular, behavioural and morphological comparisons of sperm adaptations in a fish with alternative reproductive tactics. Evol Appl 2023; 16:338-353. [PMID: 36793693 PMCID: PMC9923495 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In species with alternative reproductive tactics, there is much empirical support that parasitically spawning males have larger testes and greater sperm numbers as an evolved response to a higher degree of sperm competition, but support for higher sperm performance (motility, longevity and speed) by such males is inconsistent. We used the sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus) to test whether sperm performance differed between breeding-coloured males (small testes, large mucus-filled sperm-duct glands; build nests lined with sperm-containing mucus, provide care) and parasitic sneaker-morph males (no breeding colouration, large testes, rudimentary sperm-duct glands; no nest, no care). We compared motility (per cent motile sperm), velocity, longevity of sperm, gene expression of testes and sperm morphometrics between the two morphs. We also tested if sperm-duct gland contents affected sperm performance. We found a clear difference in gene expression of testes between the male morphs with 109 transcripts differentially expressed between the morphs. Notably, several mucin genes were upregulated in breeding-coloured males and two ATP-related genes were upregulated in sneaker-morph males. There was a partial evidence of higher sperm velocity in sneaker-morph males, but no difference in sperm motility. Presence of sperm-duct gland contents significantly increased sperm velocity, and nonsignificantly tended to increase sperm motility, but equally so for the two morphs. The sand goby has remarkably long-lived sperm, with only small or no decline in motility and velocity over time (5 min vs. 22 h), but again, this was equally true for both morphs. Sperm length (head, flagella, total and flagella-to-head ratio) did not differ between morphs and did not correlate with sperm velocity for either morph. Thus, other than a clear difference in testes gene expression, we found only modest differences between the two male morphs, confirming previous findings that increased sperm performance as an adaptation to sperm competition is not a primary target of evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotta Kvarnemo
- Department of Biology and Environmental SciencesUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- Centre for Marine Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Leon Green
- Department of Biology and Environmental SciencesUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- Centre for Marine Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Ola Svensson
- Department of Biology and Environmental SciencesUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- Centre for Marine Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- Department of Educational WorkUniversity of BoråsBoråsSweden
| | - Kai Lindström
- Environmental and Marine BiologyÅbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
| | - Sofie Schöld
- Department of Biology and Environmental SciencesUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological InstituteNorrköpingSweden
| | - Martina Griful‐Dones
- Department of Biology and Environmental SciencesUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- Department of BiologyUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Jonathan N. Havenhand
- Centre for Marine Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- Department of Marine SciencesUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Erica H. Leder
- Centre for Marine Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- Department of Marine SciencesUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Natural History MuseumUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Weber WD, Fisher HS. Sexual selection drives the coevolution of male and female reproductive traits in Peromyscus mice. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:67-81. [PMID: 36480400 PMCID: PMC10107626 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
When females mate with multiple partners within a single reproductive cycle, sperm from rival males may compete for fertilization of a limited number of ova, and females may bias the fertilization of their ova by particular sperm. Over evolutionary timescales, these two forms of selection shape both male and female reproductive physiology when females mate multiply, yet in monogamous systems, post-copulatory sexual selection is weak or absent. Here, we examine how divergent mating strategies within a genus of closely related mice, Peromyscus, have shaped the evolution of reproductive traits. We show that in promiscuous species, males exhibit traits associated with increased sperm production and sperm swimming performance, and females exhibit traits that are predicted to limit sperm access to their ova including increased oviduct length and a larger cumulus cell mass surrounding the ova, compared to monogamous species. Importantly, we found that across species, oviduct length and cumulus cell density are significantly correlated with sperm velocity, but not sperm count or relative testes size, suggesting that these female traits may have coevolved with increased sperm quality rather than quantity. Taken together, our results highlight how male and female traits evolve in concert and respond to changes in the level of post-copulatory sexual selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Heidi S Fisher
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Ito T, Morita M, Okuno S, Inaba K, Shiba K, Munehara H, Koya Y, Homma M, Awata S. Fertilization modes and the evolution of sperm characteristics in marine fishes: Paired comparisons of externally and internally fertilizing species. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9562. [PMID: 36479029 PMCID: PMC9720005 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fertilization mode may affect sperm characteristics, such as morphology, velocity, and motility. However, there is little information on how fertilization mode affects sperm evolution because several factors (e.g., sperm competition) are intricately intertwined when phylogenetically distant species are compared. Here, we investigated sperm characteristics by comparing seven externally and four internally fertilizing marine fishes from three different groups containing close relatives, considering sperm competition levels. The sperm head was significantly slenderer in internal fertilizers than in external fertilizers, suggesting that a slender head is advantageous for swimming in viscous ovarian fluid or in narrow spaces of the ovary. In addition, sperm motility differed between external and internal fertilizers; sperm of external fertilizers were only motile in seawater, whereas sperm of internal fertilizers were only motile in an isotonic solution. These results suggest that sperm motility was adapted according to fertilization mode. By contrast, total sperm length and sperm velocity were not associated with fertilization mode, perhaps because of the different levels of sperm competition. Relative testis mass (an index of sperm competition level) was positively correlated with sperm velocity and negatively correlated with the ratio of sperm head length to total sperm length. These findings suggest that species with higher levels of sperm competition have faster sperm with longer flagella relative to the head length. These results contradict the previous assumption that the evolution of internal fertilization increases the total sperm length. In addition, copulatory behavior with internal insemination may involve a large genital morphology, but this is not essential in fish, suggesting the existence of various sperm transfer methods. Although the power of our analyses is not strong because of the limited number of species, we propose a new scenario of sperm evolution in which internal fertilization would increase sperm head length, but not total sperm length, and change sperm motility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Ito
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka Metropolitan UniversityOsakaJapan
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka City UniversityOsakaJapan
| | - Masaya Morita
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research CenterUniversity of the RyukyusMotobuJapan
| | - Seiya Okuno
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka Metropolitan UniversityOsakaJapan
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka City UniversityOsakaJapan
| | - Kazuo Inaba
- Shimoda Marine Research CenterUniversity of TsukubaShimodaJapan
| | - Kogiku Shiba
- Shimoda Marine Research CenterUniversity of TsukubaShimodaJapan
| | - Hiroyuki Munehara
- Usujiri Fisheries Station, Field Science Center for Northern BiosphereHokkaido UniversityHakodateJapan
| | - Yasunori Koya
- Department of Biology, Faculty of EducationGifu UniversityGifuJapan
| | | | - Satoshi Awata
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka Metropolitan UniversityOsakaJapan
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of ScienceOsaka City UniversityOsakaJapan
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Sperm tendency to agglutinate in motile bundles in relation to sperm competition and fertility duration in chickens. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18860. [PMID: 36344554 PMCID: PMC9640612 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22049-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A unique sperm behavior was observed in Egyptian chickens. Sperm showed a tendency to agglutinate forming motile thread-like bundles. Sperm agglutination behavior, kinematics, and some morphometric measures were studied in relation to sperm competition and fertility duration in Sharkasi and Dandarawi chickens. Sperm tendency to agglutinate was assessed by examining sperm morphology using scanning electron microscopy, Acridine orange-stained semen smears using fluorescence microscopy, and recording videos of sperm under phase contrast microscope. Sperm velocity and morphometric measures were evaluated using image-J software. To assess sperm competition, Sharkasi and Dandarawi hens were artificially inseminated by semen pools possessing equal number of Sharaksi and Dandarawi sperm. Artificial insemination was repeated ten times. The eggs obtained were incubated, and the hatchlings were discriminated as descending from Sharkasi or Dandarawi fathers according to their phenotype. To assess the fertility duration, Sharkasi and Dandarawi hens were inseminated by semen collected from roosters of the same strain. Eggs were collected for a period of 28 days post-insemination and incubated. Sharkasi spermatozoa showed higher tendency to agglutinate forming longer and thicker motile bundles. No significant differences were observed in sperm curvilinear and straight line velocity and in sperm morphometric measures between Sharkasi and Dandarawi chickens. Sharkasi roosters fathered 81.6% and 67.7% of the hatchlings produced by Sharkasi and Dandarawi mothers, respectively. The fertility period in Sharkasi and Dandarawi was 22 and 14 days, respectively. We suggest that the differences seen in sperm competitiveness and fertility duration can be attributed to sperm agglutination behavior.
Collapse
|
15
|
Holt WV, Fazeli A, Otero-Ferrer F. Sperm transport and male pregnancy in seahorses: An unusual model for reproductive science. Anim Reprod Sci 2022; 246:106854. [PMID: 34579988 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2021.106854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The Syngnathidae (seahorses and pipefishes) are a group of teleost fishes in which, uniquely, developing embryos are hosted throughout pregnancy by males, using a specialized brood pouch situated on the abdomen or tail. Seahorses have evolved the most advanced form of brood pouch, whereby zygotes and embryos are intimately connected to the host's circulatory system and also bathed in pouch fluid. The pouch is closed to the external environment and has to perform functions such as gaseous exchange, removal of waste and maintenance of appropriate osmotic conditions, much like the mammalian placenta. Fertilization of the oocytes occurs within the brood pouch, but unlike the mammalian situation the sperm transport mechanism from the ejaculatory duct towards the pouch is unclear, and the sperm: egg ratio (about 5:1) is possibly the least of any vertebrate. In this review, there is highlighting of the difficulty of elucidating the sperm transport mechanism, based on studies of Hippocampus kuda. The similarities between seahorse pouch function and the mammalian placenta have led to suggestions that the pouch provides important nutritional support for the developing embryos, supplementing the nutritional functions of the yolk sac provided by the oocytes. In this review, there is a description of the recent evidence in support of this hypothesis, and also emphasis, as in mammals, that embryonic development depends on nutritional support from the placenta-like pouch at important stages of the gestational period ("critical windows").
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William V Holt
- Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Level 4, Jessop Wing, Tree Root Walk, Sheffield S10 2SF, UK.
| | - Alireza Fazeli
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia; Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tartu University, Tartu, Estonia; Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Francisco Otero-Ferrer
- University Institute of Sustainable Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (IU ECOAQUA) Scientific and Technological Marine Park, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35200, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Soulsbury CD, Humphries S. Biophysical Determinants and Constraints on Sperm Swimming Velocity. Cells 2022; 11:3360. [PMID: 36359756 PMCID: PMC9656961 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the last 50 years, sperm competition has become increasingly recognised as a potent evolutionary force shaping male ejaculate traits. One such trait is sperm swimming speed, with faster sperm associated with increased fertilisation success in some species. Consequently, sperm are often thought to have evolved to be longer in order to facilitate faster movement. However, despite the intrinsic appeal of this argument, sperm operate in a different biophysical environment than we are used to, and instead increasing length may not necessarily be associated with higher velocity. Here, we test four predictive models (ConstantPower Density, Constant Speed, Constant Power Transfer, Constant Force) of the relationship between sperm length and speed. We collated published data on sperm morphology and velocity from 141 animal species, tested for structural clustering of sperm morphology and then compared the model predictions across all morphologically similar sperm clusters. Within four of five morphological clusters of sperm, we did not find a significant positive relationship between total sperm length and velocity. Instead, in four morphological sperm clusters we found evidence for the Constant Speed model, which predicts that power output is determined by the flagellum and so is proportional to flagellum length. Our results show the relationship between sperm morphology (size, width) and swimming speed is complex and that traditional models do not capture the biophysical interactions involved. Future work therefore needs to incorporate not only a better understanding of how sperm operate in the microfluid environment, but also the importance of fertilising environment, i.e., internal and external fertilisers. The microenvironment in which sperm operate is of critical importance in shaping the relationship between sperm length and form and sperm swimming speed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carl D. Soulsbury
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Joseph Banks Laboratories, University of Lincoln, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Johnson BD, Anderson AP, Small CM, Rose E, Flanagan SP, Hendrickson-Rose C, Jones AG. The evolution of the testis transcriptome in pregnant male pipefishes and seahorses. Evolution 2022; 76:2162-2180. [PMID: 35863060 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
In many animals, sperm competition and sexual conflict are thought to drive the rapid evolution of male-specific genes, especially those expressed in the testes. A potential exception occurs in the male pregnant pipefishes, where females transfer eggs to the males, eliminating testes from participating in these processes. Here, we show that testis-related genes differ dramatically in their rates of molecular evolution and expression patterns in pipefishes and seahorses (Syngnathidae) compared to other fish. Genes involved in testis or sperm function within syngnathids experience weaker selection in comparison to their orthologs in spawning and livebearing fishes. An assessment of gene turnover and expression in the testis transcriptome suggests that syngnathids have lost (or significantly reduced expression of) important classes of genes from their testis transcriptomes compared to other fish. Our results indicate that more than 50 million years of male pregnancy have removed syngnathid testes from the molecular arms race that drives the rapid evolution of male reproductive genes in other taxa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Clayton M Small
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403
| | - Emily Rose
- Department of Biology, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia, 31698
| | - Sarah P Flanagan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8041, New Zealand
| | | | - Adam G Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, 83844
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Morimoto J, Barcellos R, Schoborg TA, Nogueira LP, Colaço MV. Assessing Anatomical Changes in Male Reproductive Organs in Response to Larval Crowding Using Micro-computed Tomography Imaging. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 51:526-535. [PMID: 35789989 PMCID: PMC9304064 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-022-00976-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ecological conditions shape (adaptive) responses at the molecular, anatomical, and behavioral levels. Understanding these responses is key to predict the outcomes of intra- and inter-specific competitions and the evolutionary trajectory of populations. Recent technological advances have enabled large-scale molecular (e.g., RNAseq) and behavioral (e.g., computer vision) studies, but the study of anatomical responses to ecological conditions has lagged behind. Here, we highlight the role of X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) in generating in vivo and ex vivo 3D imaging of anatomical structures, which can enable insights into adaptive anatomical responses to ecological environments. To demonstrate the application of this method, we manipulated the larval density of Drosophila melanogaster Meigen flies and applied micro-CT to investigate the anatomical responses of the male reproductive organs to varying intraspecific competition levels during development. Our data is suggestive of two classes of anatomical responses which broadly agree with sexual selection theory: increasing larval density led to testes and ejaculatory duct to be overall larger (in volume), while the volume of accessory glands and, to a lesser extent, ejaculatory duct decreased. These two distinct classes of anatomical responses might reflect shared developmental regulation of the structures of the male reproductive system. Overall, we show that micro-CT can be an important tool to advance the study of anatomical (adaptive) responses to ecological environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliano Morimoto
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
- Institute of Mathematics, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia E Conservação, Universidade Federal Do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
- Institute of Differential Geometry, Riemann Centre for Geometry and Physics, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Renan Barcellos
- COPPE, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Todd A Schoborg
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | | | - Marcos Vinicius Colaço
- Laboratory of Applied Physics to Biomedical Sciences, Physics Institute, Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Pla S, Benvenuto C, Capellini I, Piferrer F. Switches, stability and reversals in the evolutionary history of sexual systems in fish. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3029. [PMID: 35637181 PMCID: PMC9151764 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30419-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual systems are highly diverse and have profound consequences for population dynamics and resilience. Yet, little is known about how they evolved. Using phylogenetic Bayesian modelling and a sample of 4614 species, we show that gonochorism is the likely ancestral condition in teleost fish. While all hermaphroditic forms revert quickly to gonochorism, protogyny and simultaneous hermaphroditism are evolutionarily more stable than protandry. In line with theoretical expectations, simultaneous hermaphroditism does not evolve directly from gonochorism but can evolve slowly from sequential hermaphroditism, particularly protandry. We find support for the predictions from life history theory that protogynous, but not protandrous, species live longer than gonochoristic species and invest the least in male gonad mass. The distribution of teleosts' sexual systems on the tree of life does not seem to reflect just adaptive predictions, suggesting that adaptations alone may not fully explain why some sexual forms evolve in some taxa but not others (Williams' paradox). We propose that future studies should incorporate mating systems, spawning behaviours, and the diversity of sex determining mechanisms. Some of the latter might constrain the evolution of hermaphroditism, while the non-duality of the embryological origin of teleost gonads might explain why protogyny predominates over protandry in teleosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Pla
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Chiara Benvenuto
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | | | - Francesc Piferrer
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Conflict and the evolution of viviparity in vertebrates. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03171-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
|
21
|
Samejima S, Tachihara K. Age, growth and reproductive biology of a widespread coral reef fish, yellowfin goatfish Mulloidichthys vanicolensis (Valenciennes, 1831). JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 100:1233-1244. [PMID: 35243646 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Yellowfin goatfish Mulloidichthys vanicolensis (Valenciennes, 1831) is a widely distributed commercial fish in the Indo-Pacific. The authors examined the age, growth, sexual maturity and spawning season of M. vanicolensis around Okinawa Island, southwestern Japan, based on sectioned otolith and gonadal histology. Monthly changes in the appearance of an opaque edge indicate the annual formation of otolith bands. This fish shows sexual size dimorphism due to the faster growth and larger size of females compared to males. The von Bertalanffy growth functions were Lt = 31.0{1 - exp(-0.39(t + 1.62))} for females and Lt = 28.3{1 - exp(-0.42(t + 1.45))} for males. This species has a short life span, with a maximum age of 7.75 years, and reaches maturity in its first year of life. Observed fork lengths at 50% maturity were 19.4 cm for female and 16.2 cm for male. The main spawning season occurs from May to October. The authors compared their findings with those of previous studies on the life-history characteristics of M. vanicolensis. Spawning season, growth and maturity size differed from those found in previous studies in areas with genetic continuity. Differences in life-history traits between genetically continuous populations suggest a high degree of environmental adaptability for this species, which may be one of the reasons for its widespread distribution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shota Samejima
- Ishigaki Branch, Okinawa Prefectural Fisheries Research and Extension Center, Ishigaki, Japan
- Laboratory of Fisheries Biology and Coral Reef Studies, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan
| | - Katsunori Tachihara
- Laboratory of Fisheries Biology and Coral Reef Studies, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Vasudeva R, Graziano M, Pointer M, Cole B, West G. Obituary: Professor Matthew James George Gage (1967-2022). Evolution 2022. [PMID: 35421257 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ramakrishnan Vasudeva
- University of East Anglia, School of Biological Sciences, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Marco Graziano
- University of East Anglia, School of Biological Sciences, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Michael Pointer
- University of East Anglia, School of Biological Sciences, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Benjamin Cole
- University of East Anglia, School of Biological Sciences, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - George West
- University of East Anglia, School of Biological Sciences, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Hosken D, Wedell N, Stockley P. Obituary in memoriam of Professor Matthew J.G. Gage. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
24
|
Sperm Numbers as a Paternity Guard in a Wild Bird. Cells 2022; 11:cells11020231. [PMID: 35053349 PMCID: PMC8773506 DOI: 10.3390/cells11020231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm competition is thought to impose strong selection on males to produce competitive ejaculates to outcompete rival males under competitive mating conditions. Our understanding of how different sperm traits influence fertilization success, however, remains limited, especially in wild populations. Recent literature highlights the importance of incorporating multiple ejaculate traits and pre-copulatory sexually selected traits in analyses aimed at understanding how selection acts on sperm traits. However, variation in a male’s ability to gain fertilization success may also depend upon a range of social and ecological factors that determine the opportunity for mating events both within and outside of the social pair-bond. Here, we test for an effect of sperm quantity and sperm size on male reproductive success in the red-back fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus) while simultaneously accounting for pre-copulatory sexual selection and potential socio-ecological correlates of male mating success. We found that sperm number (i.e., cloacal protuberance volume), but not sperm morphology, was associated with reproductive success in male red-backed fairy-wrens. Most notably, males with large numbers of sperm available for copulation achieved greater within-pair paternity success. Our results suggest that males use large sperm numbers as a defensive strategy to guard within-pair paternity success in a system where there is a high risk of sperm competition and female control of copulation. Finally, our work highlights the importance of accounting for socio-ecological factors that may influence male mating opportunities when examining the role of sperm traits in determining male reproductive success.
Collapse
|
25
|
Harrison LM, Noble DWA, Jennions MD. A meta-analysis of sex differences in animal personality: no evidence for the greater male variability hypothesis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:679-707. [PMID: 34908228 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The notion that men are more variable than women has become embedded into scientific thinking. For mental traits like personality, greater male variability has been partly attributed to biology, underpinned by claims that there is generally greater variation among males than females in non-human animals due to stronger sexual selection on males. However, evidence for greater male variability is limited to morphological traits, and there is little information regarding sex differences in personality-like behaviours for non-human animals. Here, we meta-analysed sex differences in means and variances for over 2100 effects (204 studies) from 220 species (covering five broad taxonomic groups) across five personality traits: boldness, aggression, activity, sociality and exploration. We also tested if sexual size dimorphism, a proxy for sex-specific sexual selection, explains variation in the magnitude of sex differences in personality. We found no significant differences in personality between the sexes. In addition, sexual size dimorphism did not explain variation in the magnitude of the observed sex differences in the mean or variance in personality for any taxonomic group. In sum, we find no evidence for widespread sex differences in variability in non-human animal personality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Harrison
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Daniel W A Noble
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Michael D Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Alonzo SH, Stiver KA, Kindsvater HK, Marsh-Rollo SE, Nugent B, Kazancıoğlu E. Ejaculate Allocation and Sperm Characteristics Differ among Alternative Male Types in a Species of Fish with Cooperation and Competition among Unrelated Males. Cells 2021; 10:cells10102612. [PMID: 34685591 PMCID: PMC8533787 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection arising from sperm competition has driven the evolution of immense variation in ejaculate allocation and sperm characteristics not only among species, but also among males within a species. One question that has received little attention is how cooperation among males affects these patterns. Here we ask how male alternative reproductive types differ in testes size, ejaculate production, and sperm morphology in the ocellated wrasse, a marine fish in which unrelated males cooperate and compete during reproduction. Nesting males build nests, court females and provide care. Sneaker males only “sneak” spawn, while satellite males sneak, but also help by chasing away sneakers. We found that satellite males have larger absolute testes than either sneakers or nesting males, despite their cooperative role. Nesting males invested relatively less in testes than either sneakers or satellites. Though sneakers produced smaller ejaculates than either satellite or nesting males, we found no difference among male types in either sperm cell concentration or sperm number, implying sneakers may produce less seminal fluid. Sperm tail length did not differ significantly among male types, but sneaker sperm cells had significantly larger heads than either satellite or nesting male sperm, consistent with past research showing sneakers produce slower sperm. Our results highlight that social interactions among males can influence sperm and ejaculate production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne H. Alonzo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-831-502-7706
| | - Kelly A. Stiver
- Department of Psychology, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515, USA;
| | - Holly K. Kindsvater
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA;
| | - Susan E. Marsh-Rollo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada;
| | - Bridget Nugent
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06515, USA;
| | - Erem Kazancıoğlu
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06515, USA;
- Protenus, Inc., 1629 Thames St., Baltimore, MD 21231, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Selection on Sperm Count, but Not on Sperm Morphology or Velocity, in a Wild Population of Anolis Lizards. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092369. [PMID: 34572018 PMCID: PMC8464841 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm competition is a widespread phenomenon that shapes male reproductive success. Ejaculates present many potential targets for postcopulatory selection (e.g., sperm morphology, count, and velocity), which are often highly correlated and potentially subject to complex multivariate selection. Although multivariate selection on ejaculate traits has been observed in laboratory experiments, it is unclear whether selection is similarly complex in wild populations, where individuals mate frequently over longer periods of time. We measured univariate and multivariate selection on sperm morphology, sperm count, and sperm velocity in a wild population of brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei). We conducted a mark-recapture study with genetic parentage assignment to estimate individual reproductive success. We found significant negative directional selection and negative quadratic selection on sperm count, but we did not detect directional or quadratic selection on any other sperm traits, nor did we detect correlational selection on any trait combinations. Our results may reflect pressure on males to produce many small ejaculates and mate frequently over a six-month reproductive season. This study is the first to measure multivariate selection on sperm traits in a wild population and provides an interesting contrast to experimental studies of external fertilizers, which have found complex multivariate selection on sperm phenotypes.
Collapse
|
28
|
A multiplier peroxiporin signal transduction pathway powers piscine spermatozoa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2019346118. [PMID: 33674382 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2019346118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The primary task of a spermatozoon is to deliver its nuclear payload to the egg to form the next-generation zygote. With polyandry repeatedly evolving in the animal kingdom, however, sperm competition has become widespread, with the highest known intensities occurring in fish. Yet, the molecular controls regulating spermatozoon swimming performance in these organisms are largely unknown. Here, we show that the kinematic properties of postactivated piscine spermatozoa are regulated through a conserved trafficking mechanism whereby a peroxiporin ortholog of mammalian aquaporin-8 (Aqp8bb) is inserted into the inner mitochondrial membrane to facilitate H2O2 efflux in order to maintain ATP production. In teleosts from more ancestral lineages, such as the zebrafish (Danio rerio) and the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), in which spermatozoa are activated in freshwater, an intracellular Ca2+-signaling directly regulates this mechanism through monophosphorylation of the Aqp8bb N terminus. In contrast, in more recently evolved marine teleosts, such the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), in which spermatozoa activation occurs in seawater, a cross-talk between Ca2+- and oxidative stress-activated pathways generate a multiplier regulation of channel trafficking via dual N-terminal phosphorylation. These findings reveal that teleost spermatozoa evolved increasingly sophisticated detoxification pathways to maintain swimming performance under a high osmotic stress, and provide insight into molecular traits that are advantageous for postcopulatory sexual selection.
Collapse
|
29
|
Lindström K, Havenhand J, Leder E, Schöld S, Svensson O, Kvarnemo C. Sperm adaptation in relation to salinity in three goby species. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 99:607-613. [PMID: 33878216 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In externally fertilizing species, the gametes of both males and females are exposed to the influences of the environment into which they are released. Sperm are sensitive to abiotic factors such as salinity, but they are also affected by biotic factors such as sperm competition. In this study, the authors compared the performance of sperm of three goby species, the painted goby, Pomatoschistus pictus, the two-spotted goby, Pomatoschistus flavescens, and the sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus. These species differ in their distributions, with painted goby having the narrowest salinity range and sand goby the widest. Moreover, data from paternity show that the two-spotted goby experiences the least sperm competition, whereas in the sand goby sperm competition is ubiquitous. The authors took sperm samples from dissected males and exposed them to high salinity water (31 PSU) representing the North Sea and low salinity water (6 PSU) representing the brackish Baltic Sea Proper. They then used computer-assisted sperm analysis to measure the proportion of motile sperm and sperm swimming speed 10 min and 20 h after sperm activation. The authors found that sperm performance depended on salinity, but there seemed to be no relationship to the species' geographical distribution in relation to salinity range. The species differed in the proportion of motile sperm, but there was no significant decrease in sperm motility during 20 h. The sand goby was the only species with motile sperm after 72 h.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai Lindström
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Jonathan Havenhand
- Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Strömstad, Sweden
- Centre for Marine Evolutionary Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Erica Leder
- Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Strömstad, Sweden
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sofie Schöld
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ola Svensson
- Centre for Marine Evolutionary Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department for Pre-School and School Teacher Education, University of Borås, Borås, Sweden
| | - Charlotta Kvarnemo
- Centre for Marine Evolutionary Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Ancestral Sperm Ecotypes Reveal Multiple Invasions of a Non-Native Fish in Northern Europe. Cells 2021; 10:cells10071743. [PMID: 34359913 PMCID: PMC8304145 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
For externally fertilising organisms in the aquatic environment, the abiotic fertilisation medium can be a strong selecting force. Among bony fishes, sperm are adapted to function in a narrow salinity range. A notable exception is the family Gobiidae, where several species reproduce across a wide salinity range. The family also contains several wide-spread invasive species. To better understand how these fishes tolerate such varying conditions, we measured sperm performance in relation to salinity from a freshwater and a brackish population within their ancestral Ponto-Caspian region of the round goby, Neogobius melanostomus. These two ancestral populations were then compared to nine additional invaded sites across northern Europe, both in terms of their sperm traits and by using genomic SNP markers. Our results show clear patterns of ancestral adaptations to freshwater and brackish salinities in their sperm performance. Population genomic analyses show that the ancestral ecotypes have generally established themselves in environments that fit their sperm adaptations. Sites close to ports with intense shipping show that both outbreeding and admixture can affect the sperm performance of a population in a given salinity. Rapid adaptation to local conditions is also supported at some sites. Historical and contemporary evolution in the traits of the round goby sperm cells is tightly linked to the population and seascape genomics as well as biogeographic processes in these invasive fishes. Since the risk of a population establishing in an area is related to the genotype by environment match, port connectivity and the ancestry of the round goby population can likely be useful for predicting the species spread.
Collapse
|
31
|
Iwata Y, Sato N, Hirohashi N, Watanabe Y, Sauer WHH, Shaw PW. Sperm competition risk affects ejaculate strategy in terms of sperm number but not sperm size in squid. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1352-1361. [PMID: 34165857 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
In polygamous species, the mode of sperm storage in females influences evolution of sperm quantitative and qualitative traits because it provides the arena for sperm competition, cryptic female choice and fertilization processes. In this study, we compared ejaculate traits of two squid species, Heterololigo bleekeri and Loligo reynaudii. Both species show dimorphic sperm traits associated with alternative reproductive tactics where consort and sneaker males transfer sperm to different storage sites within a female (on the oviduct and near the mouth, respectively). Due to differences in reproductive behaviours and sperm placement, sperm competition risk is expected to be higher in sneakers than in consorts of both species and higher overall in L. reynaudii. Our results demonstrate that the instantaneous number of released sperm is adjusted to the expected sperm competition risk via an elaborate sperm package. Consort sperm are similar in size; however, sneaker sperm have a significantly longer flagellum in H. bleekeri than in L. reynaudii, most likely due to intra-tactic conflicts associated with sperm storage conditions. From consideration of the different mating tactics, we suggest that while levels of sperm competition determine quantitative traits, sperm quality traits are determined more by the mode of sperm storage and fertilization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Iwata
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Noriyosi Sato
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | | | - Yoshiro Watanabe
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Warwick H H Sauer
- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Paul W Shaw
- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.,Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Green L, Niemax J, Herrmann J, Temming A, Behrens JW, Havenhand JN, Leder E, Kvarnemo C. Sperm performance limits the reproduction of an invasive fish in novel salinities. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Leon Green
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- Linnaeus Centre for Marine Evolutionary Biology University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
| | - Jan Niemax
- Department of Biology Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fishery Science Universität Hamburg Hamburg Germany
| | - Jens‐Peter Herrmann
- Department of Biology Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fishery Science Universität Hamburg Hamburg Germany
| | - Axel Temming
- Department of Biology Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fishery Science Universität Hamburg Hamburg Germany
| | - Jane W. Behrens
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources Technical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark
| | - Jonathan N. Havenhand
- Linnaeus Centre for Marine Evolutionary Biology University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- Department of Marine Sciences University of Gothenburg Tjärnö Sweden
| | - Erica Leder
- Linnaeus Centre for Marine Evolutionary Biology University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- Department of Marine Sciences University of Gothenburg Tjärnö Sweden
- Natural History Museum University of Oslo Oslo Norway
| | - Charlotta Kvarnemo
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- Linnaeus Centre for Marine Evolutionary Biology University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Ramos-Júdez S, González-López WÁ, Huayanay Ostos J, Cota Mamani N, Marrero Alemán C, Beirão J, Duncan N. Low sperm to egg ratio required for successful in vitro fertilization in a pair-spawning teleost, Senegalese sole ( Solea senegalensis). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201718. [PMID: 33959336 PMCID: PMC8074893 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Cultured Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) breeders fail to spawn fertilized eggs. The implantation of large-scale in vitro fertilization protocols, to solve this problem, has been frustrated by low production of poor quality sperm. Cultured females were induced to ovulate with a 5 µg kg-1 single injection of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) and viable eggs (82.6 ± 9.2% fertilization) were stripped 41:57 ± 1:46 h after the injection. Sperm was collected from cultured males, diluted in modified Leibovitz and used fresh to fertilize the eggs. Males were not treated with hormones. A nonlinear regression, an exponential rise to a maximum (R = 0.93, p < 0.0001) described the number of motile spermatozoa required to fertilize a viable egg and 1617 motile spermatozoa were sufficient to fertilize 99 ± 12% (±95% CI) of viable eggs. Similar, spermatozoa egg-1 ratios of 592 ± 611 motile spermatozoa egg-1 were used in large-scale in vitro fertilizations (190 512 ± 38 471 eggs). The sperm from a single male (145 ± 50 µl or 8.0 ± 6.8 × 108 spermatozoa) was used to fertilize the eggs. The mean hatching rate was 70 ± 14% to provide 131 540 ± 34 448 larvae per fertilization. The viability of unfertilized eggs stored at room temperature decreased gradually, and the sooner eggs were fertilized after stripping, the higher the viability of the eggs. The collection of sperm directly into a syringe containing modified Leibovitz significantly increased the percentage of motile spermatozoa (33.4 ± 12.2%) compared with other collection methods. The spz egg-1 ratios for Senegalese sole were at the lower end of ratios required for fish. Senegalese sole have a pair-spawning reproductive behaviour characterized by gamete fertilization in close proximity with no sperm competition. The provision of a large-scale in vitro fertilization protocol (200 µl of sperm per 100 ml of eggs) will enable the industry to operate sustainably and implement breeding programmes to improve production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Ramos-Júdez
- IRTA, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, C. Poble Nou km. 5.5, 43540 Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain
| | | | - Jhons Huayanay Ostos
- IRTA, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, C. Poble Nou km. 5.5, 43540 Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Noemí Cota Mamani
- Dirección General de Investigaciones en Acuicultura, Instituto del Mar del Perú (IMARPE), Lima, Peru
| | - Carlos Marrero Alemán
- IRTA, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, C. Poble Nou km. 5.5, 43540 Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain
| | - José Beirão
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, 8049 Bodø, Norway
| | - Neil Duncan
- IRTA, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, C. Poble Nou km. 5.5, 43540 Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Lyons K, Kacev D, Mull CG. An inconvenient tooth: Evaluating female choice in multiple paternity using an evolutionarily and ecologically important vertebrate clade. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:1574-1593. [PMID: 33586211 PMCID: PMC8251896 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding mating systems is a pillar of behavioural ecology, placing the complex interactions between females and males into a reproductive context. The field of multiple paternity, the phenomenon whereby many sires contribute to an individual litter, has traditionally viewed females as passive players in a male–male competitive framework. With the emergence of feminist perspectives in ecological fields, novel alternative mechanisms and evolutionary theories across invertebrate and vertebrate taxa recognize females are active stakeholders in the reproductive process. Despite their evolutionary significance, ecological diversity and myriad reproductive modes, elasmobranch (sharks, skates and rays) research lags behind other fields regarding complex biological processes, such as multiple paternity which is often ascribed to convenience polyandry. Here, we layout hypotheses and resynthesize multiple paternity literature from a female and life history perspective to highlight how alternative mechanisms influence the predominance of multiple paternity across elasmobranchs. We draw upon parallels in other invertebrate and vertebrate taxa to demonstrate how female elasmobranchs can influence multiple paternity outcomes that benefit their reproductive success. Our article challenges dogma that has resulted from years of dismissing the female perspective as important and provides a framework for future advancement using more holistic approaches to studying mating systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Dovi Kacev
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Ito T, Kinoshita I, Tahara D, Goto A, Tojima S, Sideleva VG, Kupchinsky AB, Awata S. Fertilization modes drive the evolution of sperm traits in Baikal sculpins. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. Ito
- Department of Biology and Geosciences Graduate School of Science Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - I. Kinoshita
- Usa Marine Biological InstituteKochi University Kochi Japan
| | - D. Tahara
- Research Center for Marine Bioresources Fukui Prefectural University Fukui Japan
| | - A. Goto
- Department of Science of Environmental Education Hokkaido University of Education Hokkaido Japan
| | - S. Tojima
- Usa Marine Biological InstituteKochi University Kochi Japan
| | - V. G. Sideleva
- Zoological InstituteThe Russian Academy of Sciences Saint Petersburg Russia
| | - A. B. Kupchinsky
- Siberian Branch Baikal MuseumIrkutsk Scientific CenterRussian Academy of Sciences Listvyanka Russia
| | - S. Awata
- Department of Biology and Geosciences Graduate School of Science Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Irigoyen A, Riestra C, Lopez S, Parma AM. Patagonian grouper Acanthistius patachonicus (Jenyns, 1840) forms massive spawning aggregations in the Southwest Atlantic. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 98:267-276. [PMID: 33016336 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Here we describe massive spawning aggregations and seasonal changes in the large-scale distribution of the Patagonian grouper Acanthistius patachonicus in the Southwest Atlantic based on three sources of information: (a) data from bottom trawl research surveys covering the distributional range of the species within the Argentine continental shelf; (b) folk ecological knowledge gathered from experienced captains of the Argentine industrial trawl fisheries; and (c) sampling of an artisanal trap fishery targeting the Patagonian grouper in a specific location off the coast of Buenos Aires Province. The trawl surveys showed a general pattern of aggregation of Patagonian grouper towards the coast during the reproductive period (September-December). Captains described massive aggregations of the species at specific near-shore locations, where trawl catches of up to 15 t in a single haul were registered during the reproductive season. At a local scale, the artisanal trap fishery described operates exclusively during the reproductive period, targeting near-shore aggregations with a high proportion of individuals releasing gametes onboard. These three sources of information provide evidence of the existence of massive transient spawning aggregations of Patagonian grouper in the Argentine shelf. This is the first report of a reef fish spawning aggregation in the southern region of the Southwest Atlantic. Anecdotal information gathered in this study points to the depletion of many of the aggregations targeted during the 1980s and 1990s by the industrial fleet. At the same time, the spawning aggregation site off Buenos Aires Province has been productive for the last 34 years, being exploited exclusively by traps. The Patagonian grouper is classified as Data Deficient by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which highlights the need for further research to determine its stock status. Mapping its current spawning aggregations should be a priority to inform the design of a targeted monitoring program and management plan for this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejo Irigoyen
- Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Riestra
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Sofía Lopez
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero, Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Ana M Parma
- Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Fitzpatrick JL. Sperm competition and fertilization mode in fishes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200074. [PMID: 33070731 PMCID: PMC7661453 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm competition is a powerful selective force that has shaped sexual traits throughout animal evolution. Yet, how fertilization mode (i.e. external versus internal fertilization) influences the scope and potential for sperm competition to act on ejaculates remains unclear. Here, I examine how fertilization mode shapes ejaculatory responses to sperm competition in fishes, a diverse group that constitute the majority of vertebrate biological diversity. Fishes are an ideal group for this examination because they exhibit a wide range of reproductive behaviours and an unparalleled number of transitions in fertilization mode compared to any other vertebrate group. Drawing on data from cartilaginous and bony fishes, I first show that rates of multiple paternity are higher in internally than externally fertilizing fishes, contrary to the prevailing expectation. I then summarize how sperm competition acts on sperm number and quality in internally and externally fertilizing fishes, highlighting where theoretical predictions differ between these groups. Differences in how ejaculates respond to sperm competition between fertilization modes are most apparent when considering sperm size and swimming performance. Clarifying how fertilization mode influences evolutionary responses in ejaculates will inform our understanding of ejaculate evolution across the animal tree of life. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John L. Fitzpatrick
- Department of Zoology/Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Martinez G, Garcia C. Sexual selection and sperm diversity in primates. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 518:110974. [PMID: 32926966 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Many aspects of primate sperm physiology and reproductive behavior have been influenced by sexual selection, especially in taxa exposed to sperm competition where females mate with multiple partners. Primate sperm diversity reflects therefore the evolutionary divergences of the different primate species and the impact of a combination of variables exerting selection pressures on sperm form, function, and competition. Thereby, mating systems, life cycle or ecological variables are some of the important factors driving sperm diversity and explaining variation in terms of sperm morphology, parameters or male sexual characters. Here, we address primate sperm diversity through a compilation of all data available in the literature concerning primate sperm parameters and relationships between them. We also review the factors that can influence primate sperm diversity (e.g. mating systems, trade-off between investments in precopulatory and postcopulatory sexual traits, male and female sexual behaviors, seasonality, social constraints, testosterone levels), and discuss also their relevance to our understanding of human reproduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Martinez
- Hôpital Couple-Enfant, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, UM de Génétique Chromosomique, F-38000, Grenoble, France; Genetic Epigenetic and Therapies of Infertility, Institute for Advanced Biosciences INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR5309, F-38000, Grenoble, France.
| | - Cécile Garcia
- UMR 7206 Eco-anthropologie, CNRS - MNHN - Université de Paris, Musée de l'Homme, 75016, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Takegaki T, Nakanishi A, Kanatani Y, Kawase S, Yoshida MA, Sato N. Evidence of sperm removal behaviour in an externally fertilizing species and compensatory behaviour for the risk of self-sperm removal. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202004. [PMID: 33081619 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The removal of rival sperm from a female's sperm storage organ acts as a strong sperm competition avoidance mechanism, which has been reported only in internally fertilizing species and not at all in externally fertilizing species. This study demonstrated for the first time that nest-holding males of Bathygobius fuscus, an externally fertilizing marine fish, remove the sperm of rival sneaker males from the spawning nest by exhibiting tail-fanning behaviour within the nest. Males showed tail-fanning behaviour when semen was artificially injected into the nest but not when seawater was injected, and in open nests this behaviour resulted in higher paternity rates for the focal male. The sperm removal behaviour entails the risk of removing their own sperm; therefore, additional sperm release behaviour is likely necessary to benefit from the sperm removal effect. Consistent with this, males increased post-fanning sperm release behaviour more in the semen than in the seawater injection treatment. Moreover, males who had removed sperm for a longer time spent more time releasing sperm after the removal, suggesting that the additional sperm release behaviour compensated for the loss of their own sperm. These results suggest that sperm removal behaviour is not restricted to internally fertilizing organisms and deserves further investigation in this and other species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Takegaki
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Ayako Nakanishi
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Yosuke Kanatani
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Shoma Kawase
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Masa-Aki Yoshida
- Oki Marine Biological Station, Education and Research Center for Biological Resources, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Shimane University, Oki 685-0024, Japan
| | - Noriyosi Sato
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan.,Oki Marine Biological Station, Education and Research Center for Biological Resources, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Shimane University, Oki 685-0024, Japan.,Department of Fisheries, School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University, Shizuoka 424-8610, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Green L, Niemax J, Herrmann J, Temming A, Kvarnemo C. Alternative reproductive tactics are associated with sperm performance in invasive round goby from two different salinity environments. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:9981-9999. [PMID: 33005358 PMCID: PMC7520214 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
During male-male competition, evolution can favor alternative reproductive tactics. This often results in a dominant morph that holds a resource, such as a nest for egg laying, which competes with a smaller sneaker morph that reproduces by stealing fertilizations. The salinity environment can influence male growth rates, for example, via osmoregulatory costs, which in turn may influence the use of sneaker tactics for small males competing for mating opportunities. Salinity can also affect sperm directly; however, little is known of how salinity influences sneaker tactics through sperm performance. We sampled males of the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) from two environments, a freshwater river and a brackish estuary. This fish has two male morphs: nest-holding dark males and non-nest-holding light males. We examined the role of water salinity of 0, 8, and 16 on sperm performance and found that for estuarine males, a salinity of 0 reduced sperm velocity compared to a salinity of 8 and 16. Riverine males had low velocity in all salinities. Sperm viability also decreased by over 30% in 0 salinity, compared to 8 and 16, for fish from both environments. Gobies produce ejaculate contents in specialized glands that could in theory shield sperm in an adverse environment. However, gland contents did not improve sperm performance in our tests. Body mass and age estimates indicate that riverine males invested more in somatic growth compared to estuarine males. Estuarine light morph males had a high enough gonadosomatic index to indicate sneaker tactics. We propose that when sperm performance is low, such as for the riverine males, sneaker tactics are ineffective and will be selected against or phenotypically suppressed. Instead, we interpret the increased investment in somatic growth found in riverine males as a life-history decision that is advantageous when defending a nest in the next reproductive season.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leon Green
- Department of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- Linnaeus Centre for Evolutionary Marine BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Jan Niemax
- Department of BiologyInstitute of Marine Ecosystem and Fishery ScienceUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Jens‐Peter Herrmann
- Department of BiologyInstitute of Marine Ecosystem and Fishery ScienceUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Axel Temming
- Department of BiologyInstitute of Marine Ecosystem and Fishery ScienceUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Charlotta Kvarnemo
- Department of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- Linnaeus Centre for Evolutionary Marine BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Abstract
The seminal characteristics of Moenkhausia oligolepis are described. Three males were induced with a single dose of carp pituitary. Semen was collected 6 h after induction, and diluted in dibasic sodium phosphate extender solution. For motility analysis, 1 µl of diluted semen was added to 10 µl of distilled water to achieve gamete activation. The average duration of total motility was 76.67 s; while the average sperm motility rate at intervals of 15 s was 95.3, 85.3, 59.6, 31.7, 13.0, 4.6 and 1.2%. To determine sperm concentration in samples, 0.5 μl of semen was diluted with 500 μl of glutaraldehyde. An aliquot of 10 μl of this dilution was utilized for cell counting. An average count of 4.97 × 109 ± 3.46 sperm/ml was obtained. Morphological analyses were performed using eosin-nigrosine dye; 20.33% of the sperm were observed to be dead. Live sperm, comprising the other 79.67%, had an average length of approximately 30 µm, with a head diameter of 4.488 ± 0.7 µm; and a flagella plus mid-piece length of 26.071 ± 12.4 µm. Of those sperm, 69% had a normal morphology, while 31% had primary and secondary abnormalities. The observed abnormality rate did not have a detrimental effect on artificial fertilization potential for the species. The description of the seminal characteristics of a species is one of the most important sets of information required for artificial reproduction of fish in captivity. It also contributes significantly to the total biological knowledge of the studied species.
Collapse
|
42
|
Nason SE, Kelly CD. Equal fitness among alternative mating strategies in a harem polygynous insect. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200975. [PMID: 33043864 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative mating strategies are widespread among animal taxa, with strategies controlled by a genetic polymorphism (Mendelian strategy) being rarer in nature than condition-dependent developmental strategies. Mendelian strategies are predicted to have equal average fitnesses and the proportion of offspring produced by a strategy should equal the equilibrium proportion of individuals representing the strategy in a population. Developmental strategies are not expected to produce offspring in equilibrium proportions; however, whether the alternative phenotypes should have equal average fitness is debated. The Wellington tree wētā (Hemideina crassidens) (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae) is a harem polygynous insect in which intense sexual competition has favoured the evolution of three alternative mating strategies that differ in weapon size and the ability to fight for control of harems. Here, we use molecular genotyping to test the hypothesis that the alternative strategies in this species are maintained by having equal relative fitness and that morphs produce offspring in equilibrium proportions. As expected, the average relative fitness of the three strategies did not significantly differ and the proportion of offspring produced by each morph is equal to the frequency of that morph in the population. Our results support the hypothesis that the alternative male morphs in H. crassidens represent Mendelian strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Nason
- Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Clint D Kelly
- Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Uehara M, Ebisawa A, Ohta I. Comparative age-specific demography of four commercially important deep-water snappers: implication for fishery management of a long-lived lutjanid. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2020; 97:121-136. [PMID: 32232856 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Lutjanid snappers belonging to the subfamilies Apsilinae and Etelinae are commercially valuable components of tropical deep-water fisheries throughout much of the Indo-Pacific region. Based on age assessment using sagittal otoliths, the age-specific demographic characteristics of four deep-water snappers, Etelis coruscans, Paracaesio caerulea, Pristipomoides filamentosus and Pristipomoides sieboldii, in the Okinawa Islands, southwestern Japan, were examined, and the results were discussed for fishery management. Age validation using edge-type analysis demonstrated that opaque zones in all species were formed once per year and were considered valid annual growth increments. The von Bertalanffy growth equations were also determined for each species. These snappers are long-lived (>50 years for E. coruscans and P. caerulea and >30 years for the two species of Pristipomoides) and relatively slow-growing. The age of acquiring sexual maturity in females was relatively later in E. coruscans, P. caerulea and P. filamentosus than in P. sieboldii. The results revealed differences in the biological traits among these four species; E. coruscans and P. caerulea with long life spans and late maturation are particularly more vulnerable to fishing impact than the two Pristipomoides species. Therefore, further approaches to decrease and control fishing intensity, such as networking of marine-protected areas and regulation to control the numbers of boats and/or the total allowable catch, are necessary for the management of the stock of these species, especially for E. coruscans and P. caerulea.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masato Uehara
- Okinawa Prefectural Fisheries Research and Extension Center, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Akihiko Ebisawa
- Okinawa Prefectural Fisheries Research and Extension Center, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Itaru Ohta
- Okinawa Prefectural Fisheries Research and Extension Center, Okinawa, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Pitnick S, Wolfner MF, Dorus S. Post-ejaculatory modifications to sperm (PEMS). Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:365-392. [PMID: 31737992 PMCID: PMC7643048 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian sperm must spend a minimum period of time within a female reproductive tract to achieve the capacity to fertilize oocytes. This phenomenon, termed sperm 'capacitation', was discovered nearly seven decades ago and opened a window into the complexities of sperm-female interaction. Capacitation is most commonly used to refer to a specific combination of processes that are believed to be widespread in mammals and includes modifications to the sperm plasma membrane, elevation of intracellular cyclic AMP levels, induction of protein tyrosine phosphorylation, increased intracellular Ca2+ levels, hyperactivation of motility, and, eventually, the acrosome reaction. Capacitation is only one example of post-ejaculatory modifications to sperm (PEMS) that are widespread throughout the animal kingdom. Although PEMS are less well studied in non-mammalian taxa, they likely represent the rule rather than the exception in species with internal fertilization. These PEMS are diverse in form and collectively represent the outcome of selection fashioning complex maturational trajectories of sperm that include multiple, sequential phenotypes that are specialized for stage-specific functionality within the female. In many cases, PEMS are critical for sperm to migrate successfully through the female reproductive tract, survive a protracted period of storage, reach the site of fertilization and/or achieve the capacity to fertilize eggs. We predict that PEMS will exhibit widespread phenotypic plasticity mediated by sperm-female interactions. The successful execution of PEMS thus has important implications for variation in fitness and the operation of post-copulatory sexual selection. Furthermore, it may provide a widespread mechanism of reproductive isolation and the maintenance of species boundaries. Despite their possible ubiquity and importance, the investigation of PEMS has been largely descriptive, lacking any phylogenetic consideration with regard to divergence, and there have been no theoretical or empirical investigations of their evolutionary significance. Here, we (i) clarify PEMS-related nomenclature; (ii) address the evolutionary origin, maintenance and divergence in PEMS in the context of the protracted life history of sperm and the complex, selective environment of the female reproductive tract; (iii) describe taxonomically widespread types of PEMS: sperm activation, chemotaxis and the dissociation of sperm conjugates; (iv) review the occurence of PEMS throughout the animal kingdom; (v) consider alternative hypotheses for the adaptive value of PEMS; (vi) speculate on the evolutionary implications of PEMS for genomic architecture, sexual selection, and reproductive isolation; and (vii) suggest fruitful directions for future functional and evolutionary analyses of PEMS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott Pitnick
- Department of Biology, Center for Reproductive Evolution, Syacuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Mariana F. Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Steve Dorus
- Department of Biology, Center for Reproductive Evolution, Syacuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Myers JN, Bradford AJ, Hallas VS, Lawson LL, Pitcher TE, Dunham RA, Butts IAE. Channel catfish ovarian fluid differentially enhances blue catfish sperm performance. Theriogenology 2020; 149:62-71. [PMID: 32247214 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
For externally fertilizing fishes, interactions between male and female gametes have been shown to have remarkable impacts on sperm performance. Ovarian fluid (OF) and its ability to alter the swimming behavior of fish sperm makes it a determining factor of fertility. With the expansion of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) ♀ × blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) ♂ hybrid aquaculture, it is essential to understand the impacts during fertilization and the magnitude such gametic interactions have on sperm performance and subsequent male fertility potential. This study was conducted to address the following: 1) activate blue catfish sperm with/without channel catfish OF to determine impacts on sperm performance and 2) assess if sperm behave differently when activated in the OF from individual females. Sperm (n = 4 males) were activated without OF (control) and with diluted OF from unique females (n = 6), creating 24 experimental crosses. Sperm motility (%), velocity (VCL), and longevity were analyzed using computer assisted sperm analyses software. With OF incorporated in the activation media, sperm velocity was significantly higher than the control at 10, 20, and 30 s post-activation. OF did not have an impact on motility for any females at 10 s and 20 s post-activation but became significantly higher than the control at 30 s. In all cases, OF treatments greatly increased longevity. Male × female interactions were highly significant, such that motility, velocity, and longevity were dependent on specific male-female pairs. This information shows that OF should be incorporated in aquatic media to simulate natural spawning conditions and accurately assess the fluid mechanics of sperm propulsion for each male. Additionally, there are mechanisms that drive gamete interactions that need to be explored further, which may improve selection of male-female pairs for in-vitro fertilization. On a broad scale, our results also help to shed light on the complexities of fertilization and fish reproduction overall, which may have implications for recruitment variability and recovery strategies of threatened and/or endangered freshwater species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J N Myers
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
| | - A J Bradford
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
| | - V S Hallas
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
| | - L L Lawson
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
| | - T E Pitcher
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - R A Dunham
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
| | - I A E Butts
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Pla S, Benvenuto C, Capellini I, Piferrer F. A phylogenetic comparative analysis on the evolution of sequential hermaphroditism in seabreams (Teleostei: Sparidae). Sci Rep 2020; 10:3606. [PMID: 32107416 PMCID: PMC7046777 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60376-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The Sparids are an ideal group of fishes in which to study the evolution of sexual systems since they exhibit a great sexual diversity, from gonochorism (separate sexes) to protandrous (male-first) and protogynous (female-first) sequential hermaphroditism (sex change). According to the size-advantage model (SAM), selection should favour sex change when the second sex achieves greater reproductive success at a larger body size than the first sex. Using phylogenetic comparative methods and a sample of 68 sparid species, we show that protogyny and protandry evolve from gonochorism but evolutionary transitions between these two forms of sequential hermaphroditism are unlikely to happen. Using male gonadosomatic index (GSI) as a measure of investment in gametes and proxy for sperm competition, we find that, while gonochoristic and protogynous species support the predictions of SAM, protandrous species do not, as they exhibit higher GSI values than expected even after considering mating systems and spawning modes. We suggest that small males of protandrous species have to invest disproportionally more in sperm production than predicted not only when spawning in aggregations, with high levels of sperm competition, but also when spawning in pairs due to the need to fertilize highly fecund females, much larger than themselves. We propose that this compensatory mechanism, together with Bateman’s principles in sequential hermaphrodites, should be formally incorporated in the SAM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Pla
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Chiara Benvenuto
- Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Isabella Capellini
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University of Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Francesc Piferrer
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Horne CR, Hirst AG, Atkinson D. Selection for increased male size predicts variation in sexual size dimorphism among fish species. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192640. [PMID: 31937230 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in the degree of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) among taxa is generally considered to arise from differences in the relative intensity of male-male competition and fecundity selection. One might predict, therefore, that SSD will vary systematically with (1) the intensity of sexual selection for increased male size, and (2) the intensity of fecundity selection for increased female size. To test these two fundamental hypotheses, we conducted a phylogenetic comparative analysis of SSD in fish. Specifically, using records of body length at first sexual maturity from FishBase, we quantified variation in the magnitude and direction of SSD in more than 600 diverse freshwater and marine fish species, from sticklebacks to sharks. Although female-biased SSD was common, and thought to be driven primarily by fecundity selection, variation in SSD was not dependent on either the allometric scaling of reproductive energy output or fecundity in female fish. Instead, systematic patterns based on habitat and life-history characteristics associated with varying degrees of male-male competition and paternal care strongly suggest that adaptive variation in SSD is driven by the intensity of sexual selection for increased male size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Curtis R Horne
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK
| | - Andrew G Hirst
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK.,Centre for Ocean Life, National Institute for Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, 2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - David Atkinson
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Orbach DN, Rooke AC, Evans JP, Pitcher TE, Purchase CF. Assessing the potential for post-ejaculatory female choice in a polyandrous beach-spawning fish. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:449-459. [PMID: 31860764 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In species with limited opportunities for pre-ejaculatory sexual selection (behavioural components), post-ejaculatory mechanisms may provide opportunities for mate choice after gametes have been released. Recent evidence from a range of taxa has revealed that cryptic female choice (i.e., female-mediated differential fertilization bias), through chemical cues released with or from eggs, can differentially regulate the swimming characteristics of sperm from various males and ultimately determine male fertilization success under sperm competition. We assessed the potential role that such female-modulated chemical cues play in influencing sperm swimming characteristics in beach-spawning capelin (Mallotus villosus), an externally fertilizing fish that mates as couples (one male and one female) or threesomes (two males and one female) with presumably limited opportunities for pre-ejaculatory sexual selection. We assayed sperm swimming characteristics under varying doses and donor origins of egg cues and also examined the possibility of assortative mating based on body size. We found mating groups were not associated by size, larger males did not produce better quality ejaculates, and egg cues (regardless of dosage or donor identity) did not influence sperm swimming characteristics. Our findings suggest that intersexual pre-ejaculatory sexual selection and cryptic female choice mediated by female chemical cues are poorly developed in capelin, possibly due to unique natural selection constraints on reproduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dara N Orbach
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA, USA
| | - Anna C Rooke
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Jonathan P Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Trevor E Pitcher
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research and Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Craig F Purchase
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Fish sperm competition in hatcheries and between wild and hatchery origin fish in nature. Theriogenology 2020; 133:201-209. [PMID: 31155035 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2019.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Males compete pre- and post-mating to fertilize the maximum number of eggs. In polyandry, sperm competition occurs when sperm from two or more males compete to fertilize eggs from a female. Here we review how sperm competition from hatchery origin fish can cause loss of genetic variability in fish populations kept in captivity and in wild populations. In fish hatchery practices, sperm competition occurs in mass spawners that release gametes in tanks, and in artificial fertilizations when pooled semen is used. In mass spawnings sperm competition is difficult to tease apart from pre-mating competition and other post-mating selective mechanisms, whereas, studies focused on the use of pooled semen in different fish species have shown a clear relationship between sperm motility parameters and precedence in fertilization. In both situations, sperm competition will result in a loss of genetic variability that accumulates over generations, but hatchery protocols can be adjusted to mitigate it. Another source of concern regarding sperm competition for hatchery produced fish is the spatial and temporal overlap in spawning with wild individuals, either via aquaculture escapees or purposeful stocking programs. This may result in sperm competition between hatchery origin and wild males and impact natural populations. Our review suggests that in order to give every adult selected as broodstock an equal opportunity to produce offspring in captivity, mass spawning and the use of pooled semen should be limited.
Collapse
|
50
|
Ribolli J, Miño CI, Scaranto BMS, Reynalte-Tataje DA, Zaniboni Filho E. Genetic evidence supports polygamous mating system in a wild population of Prochilodus lineatus (Characiformes: Prochilodontidae), a Neotropical shoal spawner fish. NEOTROPICAL ICHTHYOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1590/1982-0224-2019-0123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Behavioral observations made on fish have revealed remarkably diverse reproductive strategies, including polygamy by both sexes. Still, to date, most Neotropical species remain unstudied as to whether the observed reproductive behavior in natural populations correlates with their genetic mating systems. Here, we investigated the genetic mating system of a wild population of Prochilodus lineatus settled in the Middle Uruguay River basin. By using sibship reconstruction and parental inference methods based on microsatellites’ genotypes, we inferred 45 females and 47 males as potential parents of the 87 larvae analyzed. We found evidence supporting polygamous mating in both sexes: while a high percentage of males (44.7%) fertilized the eggs of one female, 55.3% of the inferred males fertilized eggs of up to four females. Likewise, while 44.5% of the inferred females had their eggs fertilized by one only male, 55.5% of females were fertilized by multiple males. The estimated proxy of the effective population size (Nb) was 126, exhibiting moderate to high levels of genetic diversity. The genetic evidence contributed in this study complements earlier behavioral observations of formation of spawning nuclei of aggregating breeders, which may be promoting a polygamous mating strategy in this long-distance migratory fish.
Collapse
|