Mate and sperm competition during multiple-male spawnings of Atlantic salmon
The influence of sperm competition and individual mating behaviour in an externally fertilizing species of fish, the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), is estimated from video observations of multiple-male spawnings and subsequent paternity analyses. One male dominated the paternity during polygamous sp...
| Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
1998
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z97-173 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z97-173 |
| Summary: | The influence of sperm competition and individual mating behaviour in an externally fertilizing species of fish, the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), is estimated from video observations of multiple-male spawnings and subsequent paternity analyses. One male dominated the paternity during polygamous spawnings, fathering more than 80% of the progeny in a single nest. Behavioural analyses of the spawnings showed that the first-mating male had sperm precedence in 6 out of 10 cases. In three of the other spawnings, sperm limitation likely influenced individual success, as the first-mating male had participated in a large number of spawnings. In the final, nearly simultaneous spawning, male size was more important than the 0.6-s difference in spawning times. Thus, male fertilization success can be influenced by a variety of factors, including sperm precedence, male size, and spawning history. |
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