Maturation costs affect maturation timing: sexual reproduction in a heterogonic hydra

If maturation is more costly for females, they may need more distinct environmental cues to induce sexual reproduction than males. We verified this hypothesis by comparing the indirect costs of maturation to males and females of the heterogonic Hydra oligactis, reproducing both asexually and sexually. The laboratory experiments revealed that males mature 2 weeks earlier than the first females at falling temperatures simulating the natural conditions that precede sexual reproduction. The difference between the energy costs of maturation for males versus females has been considered a likely factor responsible for the observed difference in maturation time. Available food supply positively affected the percentage of sexually mature females, indicating that females are more sensitive to food limitation than males. The number of gonads was correlated positively with the size of mature hydra for both males and females. However, males produced twice as many testes as ovaries produced by females. We postulate that females are induced later than males in order to prevent gonadal development after an unseasonable drop in temperature. As sexual reproduction in H. oligactis interferes with asexual budding, under favorable conditions for asexual proliferation unnecessary gonadal development decreases an individual’s fitness through reduction of the number of produced offspring.