Sperm competition and fertilization success in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua): effect of sire size and condition factor on gamete quality

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (12) ◽  
pp. 2315-2323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Rakitin ◽  
Moira M Ferguson ◽  
Edward A Trippel
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Condition Factor ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Single Female ◽  
Male Condition

Sperm competition experiments were conducted to test the null hypothesis that sperm quality is not affected by male body size in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Genetic markers (allozymes) were used to determine the proportion of larvae sired by pairs of males when their sperm was combined with eggs of a single female simultaneously. Significant differences in fertilization success between males were not explained by differences in body size. Fertilization success was positively associated with male condition factor (K) and with spermatozoa density in each male's semen when equal volumes of semen from each male were used. Male K was positively associated with male fertilization success when the volume of semen used from each male was adjusted to add approximately equal numbers of spermatozoa from each male. The relative fertilization success of males varied depending on which female was the egg donor, suggesting that female "choice" at the gamete level may be occurring in cod.

Spawning behaviour of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua: evidence of mate competition and mate choice in a broadcast spawner

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A Hutchings ◽  
Todd D Bishop ◽  
Carolyn R McGregor-Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Multiple Paternity ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Male Dominance ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Spawning Period

We quantified individual differences in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, reproductive behaviour at a field-reported spawning density under experimental conditions. Marked individuals (nine females, seven males) were observed twice daily and videotaped continuously for 9 weeks at ambient photoperiod and temperature in a large tank (60 m3). Agonistic interactions appeared to maintain a size-based dominance hierarchy among males. Multiple paternity per spawning bout, revealed by microsatellite DNA analysis, suggested a link between dominance and fertilization success. Interactions between sexes were dominated by the circling of females by males. Predicated by vertical separation from males, and after descending to the bottom, a motionless female would be circled up to 17 times, often by one male per circling bout but by several males throughout the spawning period. Although circling frequency increased with male dominance and male body size, initiation and termination of this behaviour appeared to be under female control. Circling provides opportunities for males to gain individual access to reproductive females and for females to assess the quality of potential mates. Our evidence for nonrandom mate choice and for male-male competition and display has implications for Atlantic cod mating systems and effects of fishing on their reproductive success.

scholarly journals The relation between concentrations of ovarian trace elements and the body size of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (7) ◽  
pp. 1191-1197 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bang ◽  
P. Grønkjær ◽  
B. Lorenzen
Keyword(s):  
Trace Elements ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
The Body ◽  
Small Fish ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Large Fish ◽  
Size Category ◽  
Linear Discriminant

Abstract Bang, A., Grønkjær, P., and Lorenzen, B. 2008. The relation between concentrations of ovarian trace elements and the body size of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 1191–1197. Trace metals in the ovaries of fish are transferred from the female via the yolk to the offspring, which makes the early life stages susceptible to deleterious effects of potentially toxic elements contained in the ovaries. Here, the concentrations of 13 elements from the ovaries of 133 ripe female North Sea cod Gadus morhua weighing 0.2–18 kg were correlated with female size, accounting for differences in maturity and condition. Most elements were negatively correlated with the size variables weight, length and, especially, ovarian dry weight. Further, they were negatively correlated with maturity and condition. Many of the trace elements showed true size-dependence, but the correlations were generally weak. A linear discriminant analysis separated “small” and “large” fish at a length of 85 cm based on concentrations of Co, Mn, Se, and Zn, and correctly assigned 78 of 102 small fish and 23 of 31 large fish to their respective size category. This corresponds to an overall classification success of 75.9%. The results suggest that embryos and early larvae from small females are exposed to higher levels of potentially harmful metals. If the differences in trace element concentration influence survival success, this will add to the negative effects of size distribution truncation and declines in size-at-maturity experienced by many populations of cod.

Comparative Survival and Growth of Two Strains of Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) through the Early Life Stages in a Marine Pond

1994 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 1012-1023 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geir Blom ◽  
Terje Svåsand ◽  
Knut E. Jørstad ◽  
Håkon Otterå ◽  
Ole I. Paulsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Larval Mortality ◽  
Food Limitation ◽  
Juvenile Stage ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
Juvenile Mortality ◽  
Early Juvenile Stage ◽  
Survival And Growth

Survival and growth of two strains of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were compared through the larval and juvenile stages in a marine pond in western Norway in 1990 and 1991. Strain A was homozygous for the genetic marker allele GPI-1*30 at the glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) locus expressed in white muscle, and Strain B possessed other GPI-1* genotypes, in 1990 the frequency of Strain B increased significantly from the larval to the juvenile stage; however, in 1991 the frequency of Strain A increased slightly but not significantly from the larval to the juvenile phase. Larval mortality did not differ significantly between strains any year, but juvenile mortality was significantly lower in Strain B in 1990 and Strain A in 1991. Average growth rates in length estimated from regressions were not significantly different between strains during the larval and juvenile period any year, but initial length was significantly larger in Strain B in 1990 and Strain A in 1991. Our results indicated that food limitation during the early juvenile stage induced differential size-selective mortality among the strains due to small differences in body size and actual age between strains. Body size did not become important for survival until the food-limited regime had occurred.

scholarly journals Quality of Nephrops as food for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) with possible implications for fisheries management

2004 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 983-991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Björn Björnsson ◽  
Maria Álvaro Dongala Dombaxe
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Specific Growth ◽  
Condition Factor ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Gonadosomatic Index ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Food Conversion ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Nephrops was found to be of low quality as food for cod. In a laboratory experiment the mean specific growth rate of 1 kg cod was 0.184 and 0.415% d−1 when fed to satiation on Nephrops and capelin, respectively. This large difference in growth rate resulted not only from less intake of Nephrops (1.19 kg cod−1) than capelin (1.55 kg cod−1) but also because more Nephrops (4.6 kg) than capelin (2.2 kg) were required to produce each kilogramme of cod. Higher food conversion ratio was consistent with lower fat content of Nephrops (1.3%) than capelin (9.2%) but the exoskeleton also reduced the digestion rate of Nephrops. In the groups where Nephrops and capelin of equal mean weight were offered simultaneously, 40% of the diet consisted of Nephrops during the first week and 10% during the final seven weeks of the experiment. At the end of the experiment, condition factor, liver index, and gonadosomatic index were significantly lower for cod fed on Nephrops (0.967, 5.7, 7.1, respectively) than for those fed on capelin (1.086, 15.8, 11.2, respectively). These results suggests that predation by cod on Nephrops might be reduced by regular release of capelin or other similar food in the distributional areas of Nephrops.

scholarly journals Male size does not correlate with fertilization success in two bufonid toads that show size-assortative mating

2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 740-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Li Fan ◽  
Zhi-Hua Lin ◽  
Xiang Ji
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Assortative Mating ◽  
Clutch Size ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Mating Pattern ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Male Preference

Abstract We examined sexual size dimorphism (SSD), mating pattern, fertilization efficiency and female reproductive traits in two bufonid toads (Bufo gargarizans and Duttaphrynus melanostictus) to test the idea that importance of male body size for egg fertilization success depends on the mating pattern. Female-biased SSD was evident only in D. melanostictus. Female B. gar-garizans laid fewer larger eggs nearly three months earlier than did female D. melanostictus. Fertilization efficiencies on average were higher in B. gargarizans (95%) than in D. melanostictus (91%). Though differing in the degree of SSD, body size, breeding season, clutch size, egg size and fertilization efficiency, the two toads were similar in four aspects: (1) both showed size-assortative mating; (2) females did not tradeoff egg size against egg number; (3) male size, clutch size and clutch dry mass were greater in male-larger than in female-larger pairs after accounting for female snout-vent length (SVL); and (4) the ratio of male to female SVL did not affect fertilization efficiency. Our data show that: (1) a female preference for large males is likely not important in terms of egg fertilization success; (2) a male preference for large females is likely important because larger females are more fecund; and (3) size-assortative mating arises from a male preference for large females. Our study demonstrates that male size is not always important for egg fertilization success in anurans that show size-assortative mating.

Male reproductive success and body size in Atlantic cod Gadus morhua L.

2001 ◽  
Vol 138 (6) ◽  
pp. 1077-1085 ◽  
Author(s):  
Not Available Not Available ◽  
Not Available Not Available ◽  
Not Available Not Available
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Male Reproductive Success

scholarly journals Changes in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) sperm quality during the spawning season

2008 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Rouxel ◽  
Marc Suquet ◽  
Jacky Cosson ◽  
Armelle Severe ◽  
Loic Quemener ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Spawning Season

Energy losses due to routine and feeding metabolism in young-of-the-year juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)

2003 ◽  
Vol 60 (8) ◽  
pp. 929-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myron A Peck ◽  
Lawrence J Buckley ◽  
David A Bengtson
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Energy Losses ◽  
The North ◽  
A Value ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Environmental Temperatures

We examined the effects of body size (3–13 cm total length) and temperature (4.5, 8.0, 12.0, and 15.5 °C) on routine (RR) and feeding (RSDA) energy losses by laboratory-reared, young-of-year juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). The magnitude of the effect of temperature on RR, expressed via the Q10, was nonlinear. Q10 values were greatest at temperatures between 4.5 and 8.0 °C and were lowest between 8.0 and 15.5 °C, with larger fish tending to exhibit the greatest change in RR irrespective of the temperature combination. Energy losses resulting from RSDA were ~4% of consumed energy, a value less than half that estimated for larger, year-1+ juvenile cod fed similar-sized rations. Data from this and other studies were combined to generate an equation estimating routine energy loss at different temperatures and body sizes for cod. The equation describes RR over the eight orders of magnitude difference in body size from young larvae to adults within a range of environmental temperatures experienced by this species on Georges Bank and other areas in the North Atlantic.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document