Abstract
Hypoxia (low oxygen) exposure generally leads to decreased reproductive capacity, exhibited by reductions in testicular mass, reproductive honnones, and sperm swimming speed. However, in many fish species, reproduction occurs either periodically or exclusively under hypoxic conditions. In this study we assessed how hypoxia influences sperm performance in the plain fin midshipman (Poriclitliys notatus Girard, 1854), a species that lives in intertidal nests that become hypoxic during low tides. We exposed sperm from the same male to normoxic or hypoxic conditions and compared sperm characteristics and oxygen consumption between treatments. Sperm exposed to hypoxic water swam faster and consumed more oxygen than sperm swimming in normoxic conditions. Spenn swimming speed was positively related with oxygen consumption. For each male, the percentage of motile spermatozoa did not differ between treatments, suggesting that the same number of sperm were active but their performance was dependent on the dissolved oxygen content in the water. We discuss the implications of our results in the context of spenn competition and fertilization success under hypoxic conditions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 464-469 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
| Volume | 87 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 1 2009 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Animal Science and Zoology
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
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Sperm performance under hypoxic conditions in the intertidal fish porichthys notatus. / Fitzpatrick, John L.; Craig, Paul M.; Bucking, Carol; Balshine, Sigal; Wood, Chris M.; McClelland, Grant B.
In: Canadian Journal of Zoology, Vol. 87, No. 5, 01.05.2009, p. 464-469.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Sperm performance under hypoxic conditions in the intertidal fish porichthys notatus
AU - Fitzpatrick, John L.
AU - Craig, Paul M.
AU - Bucking, Carol
AU - Balshine, Sigal
AU - Wood, Chris M.
AU - McClelland, Grant B.
PY - 2009/5/1
Y1 - 2009/5/1
N2 - Hypoxia (low oxygen) exposure generally leads to decreased reproductive capacity, exhibited by reductions in testicular mass, reproductive honnones, and sperm swimming speed. However, in many fish species, reproduction occurs either periodically or exclusively under hypoxic conditions. In this study we assessed how hypoxia influences sperm performance in the plain fin midshipman (Poriclitliys notatus Girard, 1854), a species that lives in intertidal nests that become hypoxic during low tides. We exposed sperm from the same male to normoxic or hypoxic conditions and compared sperm characteristics and oxygen consumption between treatments. Sperm exposed to hypoxic water swam faster and consumed more oxygen than sperm swimming in normoxic conditions. Spenn swimming speed was positively related with oxygen consumption. For each male, the percentage of motile spermatozoa did not differ between treatments, suggesting that the same number of sperm were active but their performance was dependent on the dissolved oxygen content in the water. We discuss the implications of our results in the context of spenn competition and fertilization success under hypoxic conditions.
AB - Hypoxia (low oxygen) exposure generally leads to decreased reproductive capacity, exhibited by reductions in testicular mass, reproductive honnones, and sperm swimming speed. However, in many fish species, reproduction occurs either periodically or exclusively under hypoxic conditions. In this study we assessed how hypoxia influences sperm performance in the plain fin midshipman (Poriclitliys notatus Girard, 1854), a species that lives in intertidal nests that become hypoxic during low tides. We exposed sperm from the same male to normoxic or hypoxic conditions and compared sperm characteristics and oxygen consumption between treatments. Sperm exposed to hypoxic water swam faster and consumed more oxygen than sperm swimming in normoxic conditions. Spenn swimming speed was positively related with oxygen consumption. For each male, the percentage of motile spermatozoa did not differ between treatments, suggesting that the same number of sperm were active but their performance was dependent on the dissolved oxygen content in the water. We discuss the implications of our results in the context of spenn competition and fertilization success under hypoxic conditions.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=68149166277&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=68149166277&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1139/Z09-031
DO - 10.1139/Z09-031
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:68149166277
VL - 87
SP - 464
EP - 469
JO - Canadian Journal of Zoology
JF - Canadian Journal of Zoology
SN - 0008-4301
IS - 5
ER -