Sperm quality influences male fertilization success in walleye (Sander vitreus)

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (9) ◽  
pp. 2119-2125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J Casselman ◽  
Albrecht I Schulte-Hostedde ◽  
Robert Montgomerie
Keyword(s):  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Male Reproductive Success ◽  
Sander Vitreus ◽  
External Fertilization ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed ◽  
Experimental Trials ◽  
Success Percentage

We examined how variation in sperm quality influences a male's success at fertilizing ova (male fertilization success) in a wild population of walleye (Sander vitreus). To do this, we conducted controlled fertilization trials using milt and eggs (ova) from wild-spawning fish and measured male fertilization success (percentage of ova fertilized) by examining eggs after 24 h of incubation. We found that both the number of sperm and sperm swimming speed (at 10 s after activation) were significantly related to fertilization success. There was, with respect to fertilization success, a relatively large return on male investment in the number of sperm, but this return diminished as the percentage of ova fertilized increased above 50%. This is in agreement with theoretical predictions based on external fertilization dynamics. When the number of sperm used in the experimental trials was kept constant, variation in sperm swimming speed (at 10 s after activation) explained approximately 90% of the variation in a male's fertilization success. These findings demonstrate that the variation in sperm quality found in wild spawning populations has the potential to dramatically influence male reproductive success.

Reduced sperm performance in backcross hybrids between species pairs of whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)

2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (7) ◽  
pp. 566-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Whiteley ◽  
K. N. Persaud ◽  
N. Derome ◽  
R. Montgomerie ◽  
L. Bernatchez
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
F1 Hybrids ◽  
Coregonus Clupeaformis ◽  
External Fertilization ◽  
Isolating Mechanisms ◽  
Species Pairs ◽  
Backcross Hybrids ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed

Previous work has demonstrated that genomic incompatibilities work together with ecologically divergent selection to promote and maintain reproductive isolation between incipient species (dwarf and normal) of lake whitefish ( Coregonus clupeaformis (Mitchill, 1818)). Whitefish spawn in groups with external fertilization, which creates conditions for strong sperm competition. In this study, we asked whether reduced sperm performance in hybrids from whitefish species-pair matings might contribute to postzygotic isolating mechanisms between these taxa. We examined two sperm traits, sperm swimming speed and flagellum length, in pure dwarf and normal whitefish and in their F1 and backcross hybrids. We observed significantly reduced sperm swimming speed in backcross but not in F1 hybrids. Sperm flagellum length was not significantly correlated with sperm swimming speed. These results demonstrate that F1 hybrids formed in nature should be capable of the same fertilization success as the parental species during sperm competition, everything else being equal. However, reduced sperm performance in the backcross generation is consistent with other evidence suggesting that genomic incompatibilities create a range of negative fitness effects in post-F1 whitefish hybrids and provides evidence for an additional postzygotic isolation mechanism involved in the incipient speciation of sympatric dwarf and normal whitefish.

scholarly journals Sperm traits and male fertility in natural populations

Reproduction ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 134 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Montserrat Gomendio ◽  
Aurelio F Malo ◽  
Julian Garde ◽  
Eduardo R S Roldan
Keyword(s):  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Male Fertility ◽  
Semen Quality ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
High Fertility ◽  
Domestic Livestock ◽  
Antler Size ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed

Male fertility has seldom been studied in natural populations because it has been assumed that strong selection would result in uniformly high values among males, and therefore mating success has been equated with fertilisation success. In contrast, male fertility has received much attention in studies of domestic livestock, where economic benefits rely on improving productivity, and in human infertility studies, where the efficiency of treatments depends on understanding which ejaculate traits explain reproductive failures and predict success at assisted conception. Despite years of efforts, no conclusive results have been obtained, probably because such studies have focused on opposite extremes of the range with little variation: domestic livestock have often been subject to strong artificial selection for high fertility, and human patients requiring treatment have compromised fertility. Recent findings from natural populations of red deer have shown that males differ markedly in their fertility, and have revealed the degree of variation found in different semen traits, both between and within males. Fertility trials have shown that male fertility is determined mainly by sperm swimming speed and the proportion of normal sperm, when sperm numbers are kept constant. Sperm design exerts a strong influence on sperm swimming speed, with faster swimming sperm having elongated heads, shorter midpieces and a longer principal plus terminal pieces in relation to total flagellum length. Thus, the large inter-male variation in sperm design found among natural populations underlies differences in sperm swimming speed which, in turn, determine differences in male fertility rates. Secondary sexual characters are honest indicators of male fertility, so males with large and elaborated antlers have larger testes and faster swimming sperm. Testosterone does not seem to mediate the relationship between antler size and semen quality, since it is associated with sperm production, but not with sperm quality or antler size. Finally, more fertile males produce a greater proportion of sons, who will inherit the semen traits which will enhance their fertility.

scholarly journals Acute exposure to hyperosmotic conditions reduces sperm activation by urine in the yellowtail tetra Astyanax altiparanae, a freshwater teleost fish

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. e166205
Author(s):  
Nathalia Alcântara Rocha ◽  
Gabriel Marra Schade ◽  
Álvaro de Miranda Alves ◽  
Claudia de Souza Silva ◽  
Jacqueline Megumi Nakirimoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Applied Sciences ◽  
Freshwater Fish ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Acute Exposure ◽  
External Fertilization ◽  
Sperm Activation ◽  
Straight Line ◽  
Urine Production ◽  
No Activation

In freshwater fish with external fertilization, sperm sampling can be contaminated with urine, which triggers motility and gives rise to decreased fertilization success. The maintenance of freshwater fish in hyperosmotic conditions may reduce urine production and improve sperm quality. Thus, the aim of this work was to verify if acute exposure to various NaCl concentrations improves sperm quality in the yellowtail tetra Astyanax altiparanae. Spermiation was induced using a single dose of carp pituitary gland (5 mg kg-1) and the males were maintained at various NaCl concentrations: NaCl 0.00% (control), NaCl 0.45% (hypoosmotic), NaCl 0.9% (isosmotic) and NaCl 1.0% (hyperosmotic) for 6 h at 26 °C. Sperm was collected and verified for activation by urine and motility traits. At 0.00%, 0.45%, and 0.90%, the sperm was motile just after sampling, indicating activation by urine. Surprisingly, at hyperosmotic conditions, no activation was observed. Other sperm and motility parameters did not show any statistical differences, including sperm viability (P = 0.7083), concentration (P = 0.9030), total motility (P = 0.6149), VCL (curvilinear velocity; P = 0.1216), VAP (average path velocity; P = 0.1231) and VSL (straight-line velocity; P = 0.1340). Our results indicate that acute maintenance at hyperosmotic conditions eliminates sperm activation by urine and maintains sperm quality. Such a new procedure is interesting for both basic and applied sciences, including reproductive practice in fish.

scholarly journals Longer Sperm Swim More Slowly in the Canary Islands Chiffchaff

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1358
Author(s):  
Emily R. A. Cramer ◽  
Eduardo Garcia-del-Rey ◽  
Lars Erik Johannessen ◽  
Terje Laskemoen ◽  
Gunnhild Marthinsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canary Islands ◽  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Sperm Morphology ◽  
Swimming Performance ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Sperm Length ◽  
Gran Canaria ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Motile Cells ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed

Sperm swimming performance affects male fertilization success, particularly in species with high sperm competition. Understanding how sperm morphology impacts swimming performance is therefore important. Sperm swimming speed is hypothesized to increase with total sperm length, relative flagellum length (with the flagellum generating forward thrust), and relative midpiece length (as the midpiece contains the mitochondria). We tested these hypotheses and tested for divergence in sperm traits in five island populations of Canary Islands chiffchaff (Phylloscopus canariensis). We confirmed incipient mitochondrial DNA differentiation between Gran Canaria and the other islands. Sperm swimming speed correlated negatively with total sperm length, did not correlate with relative flagellum length, and correlated negatively with relative midpiece length (for Gran Canaria only). The proportion of motile cells increased with relative flagellum length on Gran Canaria only. Sperm morphology was similar across islands. We thus add to a growing number of studies on passerine birds that do not support sperm morphology–swimming speed hypotheses. We suggest that the swimming mechanics of passerine sperm are sufficiently different from mammalian sperm that predictions from mammalian hydrodynamic models should no longer be applied for this taxon. While both sperm morphology and sperm swimming speed are likely under selection in passerines, the relationship between them requires further elucidation.

scholarly journals Sperm performance under hypoxic conditions in the intertidal fish Porichthys notatus

2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 464-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Fitzpatrick ◽  
Paul M. Craig ◽  
Carol Bucking ◽  
Sigal Balshine ◽  
Chris M. Wood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Consumption ◽  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Reproductive Hormones ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Low Oxygen ◽  
Hypoxic Conditions ◽  
Porichthys Notatus ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed ◽  
Plainfin Midshipman

Hypoxia (low oxygen) exposure generally leads to decreased reproductive capacity, exhibited by reductions in testicular mass, reproductive hormones, and sperm swimming speed. However, in many fish species, reproduction occurs either periodically or exclusively under hypoxic conditions. In this study we assessed how hypoxia influences sperm performance in the plainfin midshipman ( Porichthys notatus Girard, 1854), a species that lives in intertidal nests that become hypoxic during low tides. We exposed sperm from the same male to normoxic or hypoxic conditions and compared sperm characteristics and oxygen consumption between treatments. Sperm exposed to hypoxic water swam faster and consumed more oxygen than sperm swimming in normoxic conditions. Sperm swimming speed was positively related with oxygen consumption. For each male, the percentage of motile spermatozoa did not differ between treatments, suggesting that the same number of sperm were active but their performance was dependent on the dissolved oxygen content in the water. We discuss the implications of our results in the context of sperm competition and fertilization success under hypoxic conditions.

scholarly journals Dynamic resource allocation between pre- and postcopulatory episodes of sexual selection determines competitive fertilization success

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1817) ◽  
pp. 20151279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Mehlis ◽  
Ingolf P. Rick ◽  
Theo C. M. Bakker
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Gasterosteus Aculeatus ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Carotenoid Content ◽  
Male Reproductive Success ◽  
Reduced Body ◽  
Food Quantity ◽  
Sexual Ornamentation ◽  
Breeding Coloration

In polyandrous mating systems, male reproductive success depends on both mate-acquisition traits (precopulatory) and sperm competitive abilities (postcopulatory). Empirical data on the interaction between these traits are inconsistent; revealing positive, negative or no relationships. It is generally expected that the investment in pre- and postcopulatory traits is mediated by environmental conditions. To test how dietary resource availability affects sexual ornamentation, sperm quality and their interrelationship in three-spined sticklebacks ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ), full-sibling groups were raised under three conditions differing in food quantity and/or quality (i.e. carotenoid content): (i) high-quantity/high-quality, (ii) high-quantity/low-quality or (iii) low-quantity/low-quality. After 1 year of feeding, food-restricted males developed a more intense breeding coloration and faster sperm compared with their well-fed brothers, indicating that they allocated relatively more in pre- and postcopulatory traits. Moreover, they outcompeted their well-fed, carotenoid-supplemented brothers in sperm competition trials with equal numbers of competing sperm, suggesting that food-restricted males maximize their present reproductive success. This may result in reduced future reproductive opportunities as food-restricted males suffered from a higher mortality, had an overall reduced body size, and sperm number available for fertilization. In accordance with theory, a trade-off between the investment in pre- and postcopulatory traits was observed in food-restricted males, whereas well-fed males were able to allocate to both traits resulting in a significantly positive relationship.

Copulation order, density cues and variance in fertilization success in a cestode

Parasitology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 141 (7) ◽  
pp. 934-939
Author(s):  
D. ANDREOU ◽  
D. P. BENESH
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Intermediate Host ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Final Host ◽  
Fish Host ◽  
Multiple Infection ◽  
Single Infection ◽  
Male Reproductive Success ◽  
Mating Order ◽  
Potential Partner

SUMMARYSimultaneous hermaphrodites maximize their fitness by optimizing their investment into male or female functions. Allocation of resources to male function (tissues, traits, and/or behaviours increasing paternity) is predicted to increase as density, and the associated level of sperm competition, increases. We tested whether the simultaneous hermaphroditic cestode Schistocephalus solidus uses cues of potential partner densities in its fish intermediate host to improve its male reproductive success in the final host. We had two worms, one originating from a multiple infection in the fish intermediate host and one from a single infection, sequentially compete to fertilize the eggs of a third worm. The fertilization rates of the two competitors nearly always differed from the 50–50 null expectation, sometimes considerably, implying there was a ‘winner’ in each experimental competition. However, we did not find a significant effect of density in the fish host (single vs multiple) or mating order on paternity. Additional work will be needed to identify the traits and environmental conditions that explain the high variance in male reproductive success observed in this experiment.

scholarly journals Do the fastest sperm within an ejaculate swim faster in subordinate than in dominant males of Arctic char?

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (7) ◽  
pp. 1019-1024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Vaz Serrano ◽  
Ivar Folstad ◽  
Geir Rudolfsen ◽  
Lars Figenschou
Keyword(s):  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Social Dominance ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Arctic Char ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Sperm Cells ◽  
Sperm Velocity ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed

Theoretical models predict that subordinate males should have higher sperm velocity to compensate for their disadvantaged mating role and because they experience sperm competition more frequently than dominant males. Differences in mean velocity between sperm of dominants and subordinates in the predicted direction are also documented for a few species, including the Arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus (L., 1758). Yet, this difference in mean velocity does not imply that the fastest sperm within an ejaculate, which are those most likely to fertilize eggs, swim faster in subordinates than in dominants. We studied the 5% and 10% fastest sperm cells in ejaculates of dominant and subordinate Arctic char. Before individuals attained their status, there were no differences in velocity between the fastest sperm of males that later became dominant or subordinate. Yet, after establishment of social position, subordinates showed significantly higher sperm swimming speed of the fastest cells in the first 30 s post activation (i.e., at 15, 20, and 30 s post activation). Males that became subordinates showed no change in sperm speed of the fast cells compared with those at pre-trial levels, whereas males that became dominant reduced the speed of their sperm (15 s post activation) compared with those at pre-trial levels. Our results suggest that males which attain social dominance are unable to maintain high sperm velocity, even among the small fraction of the fastest cells.

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