Female presence influences sperm velocity in the guppy
| Autor: | Clelia Gasparini, Andrea Pilastro, Av Peretti |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2009 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Evolutionary Biology Poecilia endocrine system biology urogenital system Ecology biology.organism_classification Spermatozoa Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) Sperm Visual contact Guppy Andrology Sexual Behavior Animal Animals Female Adaptive plasticity Mating General Agricultural and Biological Sciences Sperm competition Spermatogenesis reproductive and urinary physiology |
| Zdroj: | Biology Letters. 5:792-794 |
| ISSN: | 1744-957X 1744-9561 |
| DOI: | 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0413 |
| Popis: | As sperm production is costly, males are expected to strategically allocate resources to sperm production according to mating opportunities. While sperm number adjustments have been reported in several taxa, only a few studies investigated whether sperm quality shows adaptive plasticity as well. We tested this prediction in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata . A total of 46 males were initially stripped of all retrievable sperm before being randomly allocated to one of two treatments simulating different levels of mating opportunities (visual contact with females or female deprived). After 3 days, males were stripped and sperm velocity was assayed using Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis. Males in the presence of females produced significantly faster sperm than their counterparts. Implications for the evolution of this ejaculate plasticity in the light of results of sperm competition studies are discussed. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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