title: Female sperm limitation in natural populations of a sexual/asexual mating complex (Poecilia latipinna, Poecilia formosa).
abstract: In sperm-dependent sexual/asexual mating systems, male mate choice is critical for understanding the mechanisms behind apparent stability observed in natural populations. The gynogenetic Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa) requires sperm from sexual males (e.g. Poecilia latipinna) to trigger embryogenesis, but inheritance is strictly maternal. Consequently, males should try to avoid or reduce the cost of mating with asexuals. We investigated male mate choice by documenting the presence of sperm in natural populations and found that a higher proportion of sexual females had sperm than asexuals. In addition, among those females that had sperm, sexuals had more sperm than asexuals. Our results hint at a role for male mate choice as a stabilizing factor in such systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019, USA. ruedigerriesch@ou.edu
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riesch
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schlupp
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plath
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011036:Poecilia / Q000502:physiology*; D012100:Reproduction, Asexual / Q000502:physiology*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D013781:Texas