A two-second delay confers first-male fertilization precedence within in vitro sperm competition experiments in Atlantic salmon |
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Authors: | S. Yeates,&dagger § ,J. Searle,&Dagger ,R. G. Ward,&Dagger M. J. G. Gage |
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Affiliation: | School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K.; , Max Planck Institute for Limnology, August Thienemann Strasse 2, 24306 Plön, Germany; and Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5YW, U.K. |
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Abstract: | In vitro paired-male sperm competition experiments in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar for a single female's eggs revealed that 2 s delays in sperm release caused significant reductions in paternity, with second males achieving only 30% fertilization success (against an expected 50%). This first-male fertilization precedence supports previous work suggesting that sperm competition follows the principles of a race in Atlantic salmon, and suggests that any timing asymmetry in sperm release within natural competitive spawnings could have significant consequences for male fertilization success. |
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Keywords: | external fertilization fertilization precedence Salmo salar sperm competition |
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