title: Genetic evidence confirms polygamous mating system in a crustacean parasite with multiple hosts.
abstract: Mating systems are diverse in animals, notably in crustaceans, but can be inferred from a limited set of parameters. Baeza and Thiel (2007) proposed a model predicting mating systems of symbiotic crustaceans with three host characteristics and the risk of predation. These authors proposed five mating systems, ranging from monogamy to polygynandry (where multiple mating occurs for both genders). Using microsatellite loci, we tested the putatively mating system of the ectoparasite crab Dissodactylus primitivus. We determined the mating frequencies of males and females, parentage assignment (COLONY & GERUD software) as well as the contents of female spermathecae. Our results are globally consistent with the model of Baeza and Thiel and showed, together with previous aquarium experiments, that this ectoparasite evolved a polygamous mating system where males and females move between hosts for mate search. Parentage analyses revealed that polyandry is frequent and concerns more than 60% of clutches, with clutches being fertilized by up to 6 different fathers. Polygyny is supported by the detection of eight males having sired two different broods. We also detected a significant paternity skew in 92% of the multipaternal broods. Moreover, this skew is probably higher than the estimation from the brood because additional alleles were detected in most of spermathecae. This high skew could be explained by several factors as sperm competition or cryptic female choice. Our genetic data, combined with previous anatomic analyses, provide consistent arguments to suggest sperm precedence in D. primitivus.
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie des Organismes, Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Biogéosciences (UMR CNRS 6282), Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Quentin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jossart
authors.affiliation: Biogéosciences (UMR CNRS 6282), Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Rémi A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Wattier
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie des Organismes, Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Département de Biologie des Organismes, Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Chedly
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kastally
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie des Organismes, Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aron
authors.affiliation: Biogéosciences (UMR CNRS 6282), Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie des Organismes, Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Ridder
authors.affiliation: Biogéosciences (UMR CNRS 6282), Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rigaud
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003445:Crustacea / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000502:physiology