1
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Pieplow CA, Furze AR, Wessel GM. A case of hermaphroditism in the gonochoristic sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, reveals key mechanisms of sex determination†. Biol Reprod 2023; 108:960-973. [PMID: 36943312 PMCID: PMC10266946 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad036] [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: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Sea urchins are usually gonochoristic, with all of their five gonads either testes or ovaries. Here, we report an unusual case of hermaphroditism in the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. The hermaphrodite is self-fertile, and one of the gonads is an ovotestis; it is largely an ovary with a small segment containing fully mature sperm. Molecular analysis demonstrated that each gonad producedviable gametes, and we identified for the first time a somatic sex-specific marker in this phylum: Doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1 (DMRT1). This finding also enabled us to analyze the somatic tissues of the hermaphrodite, and we found that the oral tissues (including gut) were out of register with the aboral tissues (including tube feet) enabling a genetic lineage analysis. Results from this study support a genetic basis of sex determination in sea urchins, the viability of hermaphroditism, and distinguish gonad determination from somatic tissue organization in the adult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosmo A Pieplow
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Aidan R Furze
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Gary M Wessel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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2
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Taraporevala NF, Lesoway MP, Goodheart JA, Lyons DC. Precocious Sperm Exchange in the Simultaneously Hermaphroditic Nudibranch, Berghia stephanieae. Integr Org Biol 2022; 4:obac030. [PMID: 36089995 PMCID: PMC9449679 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obac034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual systems vary greatly across molluscs. This diversity includes simultaneous hermaphroditism, with both sexes functional at the same time. Most nudibranch molluscs are thought to be simultaneous hermaphrodites, but detailed studies of reproductive development and timing remain rare as most species cannot be cultured in the lab. The aeolid nudibranch, Berghia stephanieae, is one such species that can be cultured through multiple generations on the benchtop. We studied B. stephanieae reproductive timing to establish when animals first exchange sperm and how long sperm can be stored. We isolated age- and size-matched individuals at sequential timepoints to learn how early individuals can exchange sperm. Individuals isolated at 10 weeks post initial feeding (wpf; ∼13 weeks postlaying [wpl]) can produce fertilized eggs. This is 6 weeks before animals first lay egg masses, indicating that sperm exchange occurs well before individuals are capable of laying eggs. Our results indicate that male gonads become functional for animals between 6 mm (∼6 wpf, ∼9 wpl) and 9 mm (∼12 wpf, ∼15 wpl) in length. That is much smaller (and sooner) than the size (and age) of individuals at first laying (12–19 mm; ∼16 wpf, ∼19 wpl), indicating that male and female functions do not develop simultaneously. We also tracked the number of fertilized eggs in each egg mass, which remained steady for the first 10–15 egg masses, followed by a decline to near-to-no fertilization. This dataset provides insights into the precise timing of the onset of functionality of the male and female reproductive systems in B. stephanieae. These data contribute to a broader understanding of reproductive development and the potential for understanding the evolution of diverse sexual systems in molluscs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neville F Taraporevala
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Maryna P Lesoway
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jessica A Goodheart
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Deirdre C Lyons
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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3
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Learning to anticipate mate presence shapes individual sex roles in the hermaphroditic pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:1417-1425. [PMID: 35524074 PMCID: PMC9652219 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01623-7] [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: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Despite being simultaneously male and female, hermaphrodites may still need to assume the male or female sexual role in a mating encounter, with the option to swap roles afterwards. For the great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, deciding which sexual role to perform has important consequences, since sperm transfer and male reproductive success can be decreased. We hypothesised that detecting cues that indicate a possible mating encounter could help them to adapt their mating behaviour. Therefore, we experimentally assessed whether signalling the presence of a conspecific with an odour can affect the sexual role of Lymnaea stagnalis. The results showed that learning resulted in either an increased ability to mate as a male or in faster mating compared to the control group. These findings reveal that learning shapes the mating dynamics of Lymnaea stagnalis, thus showing that cognitive processes not only affect mating in separate-sexed species but also in hermaphrodites.
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4
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Resende RS, Cardoso SJ, D'ávila S. Responses of Leptinaria unilamellata (Gastropoda: Subulinidae) to Novel Micro-Environmental Conditions: Shift in Shell Morphology and the Balance between Protection against Desiccation and Reproductive Success. Zoolog Sci 2020; 37:148-158. [PMID: 32282146 DOI: 10.2108/zs180201] [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: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, we observed that Leptinaria unilamellata responds to changes in microclimatic conditions through shifts in shell morphology. Over three laboratory generations, shell differences between two populations, representing distinct morphotypes, became less evident. Only F1 generations from both populations showed shell morphometry very similar to the field parental snails, suggesting maternal effect. Snails from the locality with higher values of rainfall, relative humidity and evaporation index and smaller values of temperature and insolation produced more and larger hatchlings. Snails from the locality with less favorable climatic conditions presented shells traits that offer protection against desiccation, but reduce reproductive success. These snails showed smaller offspring production and faster response to a desiccation regime, through changes in conchiometrics. In addition, the results of the present study suggest that the spire index plays a less important role in determining protective properties of the shell of L. unilamellata, in response to desiccation risk, compared to aperture dimension. As shell aperture dimension is an important trait related to resistance to desiccation, and at the same time to reproduction, plastic responses to environmental conditions promoting the balance between survival and reproductive success are critical for the species adaptive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Seixas Resende
- Museu de Malacologia Prof. Maury Pinto de Oliveira, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, S/n - Martelos, Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Simone Jaqueline Cardoso
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aquática, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Sthefane D'ávila
- Museu de Malacologia Prof. Maury Pinto de Oliveira, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, S/n - Martelos, Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Minas Gerais, Brazil, .,Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Minas Gerais, Brazil,
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5
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Felmy A, Weissert N, Travis J, Jokela J. Mate availability determines use of alternative reproductive phenotypes in hermaphrodites. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
In many species, individuals can employ alternative reproductive phenotypes, with profound consequences for individual fitness and population dynamics. This is particularly relevant for self-compatible hermaphrodites, which have exceptionally many reproductive options. Here we investigated the occurrence of reproductive phenotypes in the simultaneously hermaphroditic freshwater snail Radix balthica under experimentally simulated conditions of low versus moderate population density. We captured all mating behavior on camera and measured individual female lifetime reproductive success. We found every possible reproductive phenotype: (1) both male and female (i.e., truly hermaphroditic) reproduction, (2) purely female and (3) purely male reproduction, (4) male reproduction combined with self-fertilization and (5) female mating activity, (6) pure self-fertilization without mating and (7–8) two types of reproductive failure. Variation in alternative reproductive phenotypes was explained by mate availability (10.8%) and individual condition, approximated by a snail’s mean daily growth rate (17.5%). Increased mate availability resulted in a lower diversity of reproductive phenotypes, in particular increasing the frequency of true hermaphrodites. However, it lowered phenotype-specific fecundities and hence reduced the population growth rate. Snails in better condition were more likely to reproduce as true hermaphrodites or pure females, whereas low-condition snails tended to suffer reproductive failure. Overall, we show substantial variation in alternative reproductive phenotypes in a hermaphrodite, which is possibly in part maintained by fluctuations in population density and thus mate availability, and by variation in individual condition. We also provide evidence of an almost 2-fold increase in clutch size that can be ascribed specifically to mating as a female.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Felmy
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- ETH Zurich, D-USYS, Institute of Integrative Biology, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nora Weissert
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Joseph Travis
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Jukka Jokela
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- ETH Zurich, D-USYS, Institute of Integrative Biology, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich, Switzerland
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6
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Fodor I, Hussein AAA, Benjamin PR, Koene JM, Pirger Z. The unlimited potential of the great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. eLife 2020; 9:e56962. [PMID: 32539932 PMCID: PMC7297532 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Only a limited number of animal species lend themselves to becoming model organisms in multiple biological disciplines: one of these is the great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. Extensively used since the 1970s to study fundamental mechanisms in neurobiology, the value of this freshwater snail has been also recognised in fields as diverse as host-parasite interactions, ecotoxicology, evolution, genome editing and 'omics', and human disease modelling. While there is knowledge about the natural history of this species, what is currently lacking is an integration of findings from the laboratory and the field. With this in mind, this article aims to summarise the applicability of L. stagnalis and points out that this multipurpose model organism is an excellent, contemporary choice for addressing a large range of different biological questions, problems and phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- István Fodor
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Department of Experimental Zoology, Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological ResearchTihanyHungary
| | - Ahmed AA Hussein
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Paul R Benjamin
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of SussexBrightonUnited Kingdom
| | - Joris M Koene
- Section of Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Zsolt Pirger
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Department of Experimental Zoology, Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological ResearchTihanyHungary
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7
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Schaefer JLB, Christy JH, Marko PB. Multiple and Extra-Pair Mating in a Pair-Living Hermaphrodite, the Intertidal Limpet Siphonaria gigas. Integr Org Biol 2020; 2:obaa013. [PMID: 33791556 PMCID: PMC7671124 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obaa013] [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] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Pair-living is a common social system found across animal taxa, and the relationship between pair-living and reproduction varies greatly among species. Siphonaria gigas, hermaphroditic pulmonate gastropods, often live in pairs in the rocky intertidal zone of the tropical Eastern Pacific. Combining genetic parentage analysis using four polymorphic microsatellite loci with behavioral observations from a 10-week field study, we provide the first description of the mating system of a Siphonaria species incorporating genetic data. S. gigas mated both within-pair and extra-pair and three out of four paired S. gigas individuals produced egg masses with extra-pair paternity. Multiple paternity was detected, but at a relatively low frequency (19% of egg masses) compared to other marine gastropods. Behavioral data indicate one potential advantage of pair-living: paired S. gigas produced almost twice as many egg masses as their solitary counterparts over four reproductive cycles. These observations, together with constraints on the movement of S. gigas, suggest that pairing may ensure mate access and increase reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L B Schaefer
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 2538 McCarthy Mall, Edmondson Hall 216, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - John H Christy
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Apartado 0843-03092, República de Panamá
| | - Peter B Marko
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 2538 McCarthy Mall, Edmondson Hall 216, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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8
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Norton CG, Wright MK. Strong first sperm precedence in the freshwater hermaphroditic snail Planorbella trivolvis. INVERTEBR REPROD DEV 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/07924259.2019.1630019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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9
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Hamada T, Kuriwada T. Boldness to predator is not significantly correlated with mating behaviour in a simultaneously hermaphroditic snail. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2019.1625953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Takatoshi Hamada
- Faculty of Education, Laboratory of Zoology, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-20-6, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
| | - Takashi Kuriwada
- Faculty of Education, Laboratory of Zoology, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-20-6, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
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10
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Lorenzi MC, Araguas A, Bocquet C, Picchi L, Ricci-Bonot C. Courtship behavior as a war of attrition in a simultaneous hermaphrodite. ANIM BIOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-00001050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In outcrossing hermaphrodites with unilateral mating, where for each mating interaction one individual assumes the female role and the other the male role, each individual must take a sexual role opposite to that of its partner. In the polychaete worm Ophryotrocha diadema, the decision on sexual role is likely at stake during the day-long courtship. Here we describe, for the first time, courtship and pseudocopulation in this species, quantify their pre-copulatory behavior, and search for behavioral traits predicting the prospective sexual role (i.e., behavioral sexual dimorphism), by analyzing the courtship behavior of pairs of worms during the day preceding a mating event. We did not find any behavioral cue predicting the sexual role worms were to play; partners’ pre-copulatory behaviors were qualitatively and quantitatively symmetrical. We interpret this as the outcome of a war of attrition where partners share the preference for the same sexual role, and both hide their ‘willingness’ to play the less preferred one, until one individual reaches its cost threshold and accepts the less preferred sexual role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Lorenzi
- LEEC – Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 99 avenue J.-B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - Alice Araguas
- LEEC – Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 99 avenue J.-B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - Céline Bocquet
- LEEC – Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 99 avenue J.-B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - Laura Picchi
- LEEC – Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 99 avenue J.-B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - Claire Ricci-Bonot
- LEEC – Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 99 avenue J.-B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
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11
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Abstract
Sex determination and sexual development are highly diverse and controlled by mechanisms that are extremely labile. While dioecy (separate male and female functions) is the norm for most animals, hermaphroditism (both male and female functions within a single body) is phylogenetically widespread. Much of our current understanding of sexual development comes from a small number of model systems, limiting our ability to make broader conclusions about the evolution of sexual diversity. We present the calyptraeid gastropods as a model for the study of the evolution of sex determination in a sequentially hermaphroditic system. Calyptraeid gastropods, a group of sedentary, filter-feeding marine snails, are sequential hermaphrodites that change sex from male to female during their life span (protandry). This transition includes resorption of the penis and the elaboration of female genitalia, in addition to shifting from production of spermatocytes to oocytes. This transition is typically under environmental control and frequently mediated by social interactions. Males in contact with females delay sex change to transition at larger sizes, while isolated males transition more rapidly and at smaller sizes. This phenomenon has been known for over a century; however, the mechanisms that control the switch from male to female are poorly understood. We review here our current understanding of sexual development and sex determination in the calyptraeid gastropods and other molluscs, highlighting our current understanding of factors implicated in the timing of sex change and the potential mechanisms. We also consider the embryonic origins and earliest expression of the germ line and the effects of environmental contaminants on sexual development.
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12
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Hoffer JN, Mariën J, Ellers J, Koene JM. Sexual selection gradients change over time in a simultaneous hermaphrodite. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28613158 PMCID: PMC5511009 DOI: 10.7554/elife.25139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection is generally predicted to act more strongly on males than on females. The Darwin-Bateman paradigm predicts that this should also hold for hermaphrodites. However, measuring this strength of selection is less straightforward when both sexual functions are performed throughout the organism's lifetime. Besides, quantifications of sexual selection are usually done during a short time window, while many animals store sperm and are long-lived. To explore whether the chosen time frame affects estimated measures of sexual selection, we recorded mating success and reproductive success over time, using a simultaneous hermaphrodite. Our results show that male sexual selection gradients are consistently positive. However, an individual's female mating success seems to negatively affect its own male reproductive success, an effect that only becomes visible several weeks into the experiment, highlighting that the time frame is crucial for the quantification and interpretation of sexual selection measures, an insight that applies to any iteroparous mating system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Na Hoffer
- Section of Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Janine Mariën
- Section of Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jacintha Ellers
- Section of Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joris M Koene
- Section of Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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13
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Lombardo P, Miccoli FP. A note on oviposition by Lymnaea stagnalis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Lymnaeidae) on shells of conspecifics under laboratory conditions. FOLIA MALACOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.12657/folmal.025.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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14
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Koene JM. Sex determination and gender expression: Reproductive investment in snails. Mol Reprod Dev 2017; 84:132-143. [PMID: 27245260 PMCID: PMC6220956 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Sex determination is generally seen as an issue of importance for separate-sexed organisms; however, when considering other sexual systems, such as hermaphroditism, sex allocation is a less-binary form of sex determination. As illustrated here, with examples from molluscs, this different vantage point can offer important evolutionary insights. After all, males and females produce only one type of gamete, whereas hermaphrodites produce both. In addition, sperm and accessory gland products are donated bidirectionally. For reciprocal mating, this is obvious since sperm are exchanged within one mating interaction; but even unilaterally mating species end up mating in both sexual roles, albeit not simultaneously. With this in mind, I highlight two factors that play an important role in how reproductive investment is divided in snails: First, the individual's motivation to preferentially donate rather than receive sperm (or vice versa) leads to flexible behavioral performance, and thereby investment, of either sex. Second, due to the presence of both sexual roles within the same individual, partners are potentially able to influence investment in both sexual functions of their partner to their own benefit. The latter has already led to novel insights into how accessory gland products may evolve. Moreover, the current evidence points towards different ways in which allocation to reproduction can be changed in simultaneous hermaphrodites. These often differ from the separate-sexed situation, highlighting that comparison across different sexual systems may help identify commonalities and differences in physiological, and molecular mechanisms as well as evolutionary patterns. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 84: 132-143, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris M. Koene
- Faculty of Earth and Life SciencesDepartment of Ecological ScienceVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Terrestrial ZoologyNaturalis Biodiversity CentreLeidenThe Netherlands
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15
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Meconcelli S, Cannarsa E, Sella G. Plasticity of morphological traits in response to social conditions in a simultaneous hermaphrodite. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2015.1078415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Meconcelli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - E. Cannarsa
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - G. Sella
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
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16
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Influences of population density on polyandry and patterns of sperm usage in the marine gastropod Rapana venosa. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23461. [PMID: 26996441 PMCID: PMC4800675 DOI: 10.1038/srep23461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyandry is a common mating strategy in animals, with potential for sexual selection to continue post-copulation through sperm competition and/or cryptic female choice. Few studies have investigated the influences of population density on polyandry and sperm usage, and paternity distribution in successive broods of marine invertebrates. The marine gastropod Rapana venosa is ideal for investigating how population density influences the frequency of polyandry and elucidating patterns of sperm usage. Two different population density (12 ind/m3 and 36 ind/m3) treatments with two replications were set to observe reproductive behaviors. Five microsatellite markers were used to identify the frequency of multiple paternity and determine paternal contributions to progeny arrays in 120 egg masses. All of the mean mating frequency, mean number of sires and mean egg-laying frequency were higher at high population density treatment relative to low population density treatment, indicating population density is an important factor affecting polyandry. The last sperm donors achieved high proportions of paternity in 74.77% of egg masses, which supported the “last male sperm precedence” hypothesis. In addition, high variance in reproductive success among R. venosa males were detected, which might have an important influence on effective population size.
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17
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Stewart MJ, Wang T, Koene JM, Storey KB, Cummins SF. A "Love" Dart Allohormone Identified in the Mucous Glands of Hermaphroditic Land Snails. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:7938-50. [PMID: 26817846 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.704395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals have evolved many ways to enhance their own reproductive success. One bizarre sexual ritual is the "love" dart shooting of helicid snails, which has courted many theories regarding its precise function. Acting as a hypodermic needle, the dart transfers an allohormone that increases paternity success. Its precise physiological mechanism of action within the recipient snail is to close off the entrance to the sperm digestion organ via a contraction of the copulatory canal, thereby delaying the digestion of most donated sperm. In this study, we used the common garden snailCornu aspersumto identify the allohormone that is responsible for this physiological change in the female system of this simultaneous hermaphrodite. The love dart allohormone (LDA) was isolated from extracts derived from mucous glands that coat the dart before it is stabbed through the partner's body wall. We isolated LDA from extracts using bioassay-guided contractility measurement of the copulatory canal. LDA is encoded within a 235-amino acid precursor protein containing multiple cleavage sites that, when cleaved, releases multiple bioactive peptides. Synthetic LDA also stimulated copulatory canal contractility. Combined with our finding that the protein amino acid sequence resembles previously described molluscan buccalin precursors, this indicates that LDA is partially conserved in helicid snails and less in other molluscan species. In summary, our study provides the full identification of an allohormone that is hypodermically injected via a love dart. More importantly, our findings have important consequences for understanding reproductive biology and the evolution of alternative reproductive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Stewart
- From the Genecology Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Queensland 4558, Australia
| | - Tianfang Wang
- From the Genecology Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Queensland 4558, Australia
| | - Joris M Koene
- the Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and
| | - Kenneth B Storey
- the Institute of Biochemistry and Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Scott F Cummins
- From the Genecology Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Queensland 4558, Australia,
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18
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Janssen R, Baur B. Seasonal effects on egg production and level of paternity in a natural population of a simultaneous hermaphrodite snail. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:2916-28. [PMID: 26306176 PMCID: PMC4541995 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2014] [Revised: 05/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In a seasonal environment, the suitable time window for females to reproduce is restricted by both environmental conditions and the availability of males. In simultaneous hermaphrodites, which are female and male at the same time, selection on a trait that is solely beneficial for one sexual function cannot occur independently. Therefore, it is assumed that the optimal time window for reproduction is a compromise between the two sexual functions in simultaneous hermaphrodites, mediated by environmental conditions. We examined seasonal patterns of reproduction and the resulting paternity in a natural population of the simultaneously hermaphroditic land snail Arianta arbustorum. Adult and premature individuals (snails in a short protandric phase) were collected on four occasions over the entire active season. The snails were allowed to deposit eggs after which we assessed the level of paternity in their hatched offspring. Individuals mated throughout the reproductive season, whereas egg production - the major task of the female function - was restricted to the first half of the season. Snails collected in autumn were allowed to hibernate under laboratory conditions. As a result, we found that premature individuals began to mate late in the reproductive season, but did not start to produce eggs before emerging from hibernation. Our results demonstrate a temporal shift of reproductive activities; the egg production and oviposition occur mainly in the first half of the season, while sperm production and mating occur over the entire season. In subadult and adult snails, sperm obtained from several partners in the second part of the reproductive season are stored during hibernation for the fertilization of eggs in the successive years. These results extend our understanding of the influence of both natural and sexual selection on reproductive strategies in hermaphrodites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Janssen
- Section of Conservation Biology, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of BaselSt. Johanns-Vorstadt 10, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Baur
- Section of Conservation Biology, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of BaselSt. Johanns-Vorstadt 10, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
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19
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Kimura K, Chiba S, Koene JM. Common effect of the mucus transferred during mating in two dart-shooting snail species from different families. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 217:1150-3. [PMID: 24671965 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.095935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Several taxa of pulmonate land snails exhibit a conspicuous mating behaviour, the shooting of so-called love darts. During mating, such land snail species stab a mating partner with a mucus-coated dart. It has previously been shown that the sperm donor physiologically influences the sperm recipient via the mucus covering the dart and thereby decreases the number of sperm digested by the recipient. However, the generality of this effect of the dart's mucus is unclear, because almost all the previous studies on the effect of the mucus used the brown garden snail Cornu aspersum from the family Helicidae. Therefore, the relationship between the acquisition of the mucus effect on the recipient and the evolution of the dart itself, and its mucus, is still open to debate. To test the commonality of the physiological effect of the dart mucus, we examined this in Euhadra peliomphala, a species from the Bradybaenidae family, and compared our findings with the results of previous work using C. aspersum. Our experiments showed that in E. peliomphala, the dart mucus had a physiological effect and lowered the accessibility of the gametolytic organ, as found in C. aspersum. This indicates that in various dart-bearing species the mucus from the dart glands targets the same organ and that the inhibition of sperm digestion has played a crucial role in the evolution of the dart and its mucus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Kimura
- Department of Environmental Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Kawauchi 41, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8576, Japan
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20
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Nakadera Y, Swart EM, Maas JPA, Montagne-Wajer K, Ter Maat A, Koene JM. Effects of age, size, and mating history on sex role decision of a simultaneous hermaphrodite. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 26:232-241. [PMID: 25713474 PMCID: PMC4309981 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2014] [Revised: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Quite a few animals are male and female at the same time, so they can choose to mate either as male or female on copulation. The decision to perform either sex role was known to be highly flexible depending on various, but often confounding, factors. For the pond snail, we report that young and small snails tend to mate as males first, though old and large snails do not seem to be better females. Contrasting with separate-sexed animals, simultaneous hermaphrodites display unique reproductive strategies as they are male and female at the same time. Simultaneous hermaphrodites that copulate unilaterally, for instance, make a decision to mate as a male or female. Previous studies have demonstrated that sex role preference in hermaphrodites is flexible and is controlled by several, often confounding, factors. We examined the relationship between sex role decisions and 3 life-history traits (age, size, and mating history) in the great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. Based on our field observations, which indicate that adult individuals show overlapping generations and large variation in body size during the breeding season, we performed a sex role choice experiment in the laboratory. We found that young and small snails mate as males first. Both age and size significantly affected sex role decision, with age having a stronger effect. Furthermore, we tested whether L. stagnalis becomes reluctant to inseminate a mate after being inseminated because it is known that after insemination, male investment substantially reduces. Contrary to expectations, our results indicate that the receipt of seminal fluid does not seem to reduce male motivation. In sum, sex role decisions in L. stagnalis are largely determined by age and size but not by having received seminal fluid. This mating pattern, however, does not fully support the size-advantage model because large or old individuals did not perform better as females in our experiment. These results imply a conflicting mating interest, rather than harmonious agreement, between age- and size-different hermaphrodites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumi Nakadera
- Section Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Elferra M Swart
- Section Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen P A Maas
- Section Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands , ; Applied Biology, HAS University of Applied Sciences , Onderwijsboulevard 221, 5223DE 's-Hertogenbosch , The Netherlands , and
| | - Kora Montagne-Wajer
- Section Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Andries Ter Maat
- Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology , Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, 82319 Seewiesen , Germany
| | - Joris M Koene
- Section Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
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21
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Jarčuška B, Jarčušková Danková L. Poznámky k zoskupovaniu slimáka záhradného Helix pomatia [Comments on the aggregation behaviour of the Roman snail (Helix pomatia)]. MALACOLOGICA BOHEMOSLOVACA 2014. [DOI: 10.5817/mab2014-13-114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper we report an observation of an interesting behaviour of the Roman snail Helix pomatia. Two groups of several dozens of individuals were found in a beech forest in the Veľká Fatra Mts. (Central Slovakia) on May 2014. Both sites had an open tree canopy with sparse and low herbaceous vegetation. Approximately 25–35 individuals per 20–30 square meters were found there, while several pairs of them were attached with their feet together. This observation brings several questions related to species behaviour and reproductive strategy.
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22
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Nakadera Y, Swart EM, Hoffer JNA, den Boon O, Ellers J, Koene JM. Receipt of seminal fluid proteins causes reduction of male investment in a simultaneous hermaphrodite. Curr Biol 2014; 24:859-62. [PMID: 24684934 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.02.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Revised: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Mating partners often have conflicting interests when copulating. One of the major agents affecting female mating partners is seminal fluid, transferred along with sperm. The role of seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) in reproductive success is well studied in separate-sexed animals but is much less so in simultaneous hermaphrodites. The latter potentially have a unique target to exploit for the sperm donor's own benefit: the male function of their mating partners. Here we show that, in the great pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis, receipt of specific SFPs reduces both sperm transfer and paternity success in a subsequent insemination event. Lowering investment in the mating partner's male function constitutes a novel role for SFPs. This demonstrates for the first time that hermaphrodites alter their mates' male as well as female reproductive output. Although it remains to be tested whether this represents mate manipulation or an adaptive response of recipients, our findings identify male investment as a new target for postcopulatory sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumi Nakadera
- Animal Ecology Section, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Elferra M Swart
- Animal Ecology Section, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen N A Hoffer
- Animal Ecology Section, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Onno den Boon
- Animal Ecology Section, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jacintha Ellers
- Animal Ecology Section, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joris M Koene
- Animal Ecology Section, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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23
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Maltz TK, Sulikowska-Drozd A. Selfing and brooding in Alinda biplicata (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Clausiliidae) – life history traits of a good coloniser. ANIM BIOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-00002434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Alinda biplicatais capable of uniparental reproduction (selfing). The snails need 18 to 24 weeks to reach their ultimate size, and the first reproduction takes place 26 to 39 weeks after shell growth completion. Besides giving birth to juveniles, which is typical ofA. biplicata(39% of litters), the uniparentally reproducing individuals laid egg batches (38%) as well as mixed batches (eggs and juveniles; 23%). Within a few days the eggs decomposed, and in mixed batches they were often consumed by the accompanying neonates. In the next season, 70% of the remaining 20 snails reproduced (all of which had reproduced in the previous season). In the first season the neonate:egg proportion was 54:46, in the second 74:26. The egg-laying should be regarded as an anomaly – getting rid of eggs which were not fertilised or in which embryos died at early cleavage stages. The combination of selfing and brooding may explain the wide distribution and wide range of habitats occupied byA. biplicata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz K. Maltz
- Museum of Natural History, Wrocław University, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Anna Sulikowska-Drozd
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
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24
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Koene JM, Liew TS, Montagne-Wajer K, Schilthuizen M. A syringe-like love dart injects male accessory gland products in a tropical hermaphrodite. PLoS One 2013; 8:e69968. [PMID: 23894565 PMCID: PMC3722094 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual conflict shapes the evolution of many behaviours and processes involved in reproduction. Nearly all evidence supporting this comes from species where the sexes are separated. However, a substantial proportion of animals and most plants are hermaphroditic, and theoretical work predicts that sexual conflict plays an important role even when the sexes are joined within one individual. This seems to have resulted in bizarre mating systems, sophisticated sperm packaging and complex reproductive morphologies. By far the best-known example of such a strategy in hermaphrodites is the shooting of so-called love-darts in land snails. All known love darts carry a gland product on their outside and enter this into the partner's hemolymph by stabbing. Here, we show that species of the snail genus Everettia possess a syringe-like dart that serves as a real injection needle. Their dart is round in cross-section, contains numerous channels, and has perforations along its side. Histology and electron microscopy show that these holes connect to the channels inside the dart and run all the way up to the elaborate mucus glands that are attached to the dart sac. This is the first report on a love dart that is used as a syringe to directly inject the gland product into the partner's hemolymph. Although the exact use and function of this dart remains to be demonstrated, this clearly adds to the complexity of the evolution of reproductive strategies in hermaphrodites in general. Moreover, the perforations on the outside of the love dart resemble features of other injection devices, thus uncovering common design and repeated evolution of such features in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris M Koene
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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