Variation in sperm swimming behaviour and its effect on fertilization success in the serpulid polychaeteGaleolaria caespitosa
- 1 September 2002
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Informa UK Limited in Invertebrate Reproduction & Development
- Vol. 41 (1-3), 21-26
- https://doi.org/10.1080/07924259.2002.9652731
Abstract
Established models of fertilization kinetics in free-spawning marine invertebrates predict that fertilization success is dependent upon sperm swimming velocity. Despite the prevalence of these models, there are very few published tests of this assumption. To test this, the effects of sperm swimming characteristics on fertilization success were studied in Galeolaria caespitosa (Polychaeta, Serpulidae). Both sperm activity (% motility) and sperm swimming velocities were highly variable within this species. Sperm were motile for up to 6–7 h after activation; however, mean motility, swimming velocity and fertilization success decreased after 4 h. Eggs of G. caespitosa were fertilizable up to 10 h after spawning; however, the number of embryos resulting from fertilization by fresh sperm also decreased after 4 h. Sperm motility and velocity were not affected by water-soluble egg extracts. When gamete concentration, contact time, and age were held constant, fertilization success in G. caespitosa remained highly variable. Some of this variability was attributable to observed variability in sperm motility and velocity. Fertilization success was positively related to sperm velocity (P = 0.014), but there was no correlation between percent sperm motility and fertilization success (P = 0.85). Cross-fertilization experiments indicated that individual egg fertilizability and male-female compatibility also play an important role in determining the fertilization success and thus may obscure any effects of sperm motility.Keywords
This publication has 34 references indexed in Scilit:
- Sperm traits and fertilization success of male and sex-reversed female rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)Aquaculture, 2000
- THE EFFECT OF SPERM COMPETITION ON MALE GAIN CURVES IN A COLONIAL MARINE INVERTEBRATEEcology, 1998
- Sperm motility patterns of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in relation to salinity: effects of ovarian fluid and egg presenceCanadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 1998
- Chemical Mediation of Sperm Activity and Longevity in the Solitary Ascidians Ciona intestinalis and Ascidiella aspersaThe Biological Bulletin, 1996
- Sperm Chemotaxis in AscidiansAmerican Zoologist, 1982
- Regulation of Sperm Motility in Starfish. I. Initiation of Movement. (starfish sperm/seminal plasma/sperm propulsion/sperm best frequency)Development, Growth & Differentiation, 1982
- Chemotactic behavior of the sperm of chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora)Journal of Experimental Zoology, 1977
- Properties and Partial Purification of the Sperm Attractant ofTubulariaAmerican Zoologist, 1974
- Sperm migration prior to fertilization in the hydroidGonothyrea loveniJournal of Experimental Zoology, 1970
- Chemotaxis during fertilization in the hydroid CampanulariaJournal of Experimental Zoology, 1966