title: Experimental reduction in dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids depresses sperm competitiveness.
abstract: The health benefits of diets containing rich sources of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA) are well documented and include reductions in the risk of several diseases typical of Western societies. The dietary intake of n-3 LC-PUFA has also been linked to fertility, and there is abundant evidence that a range of ejaculate traits linked to fertility in humans, livestock and other animals depend on an adequate intake of n-3 LC-PUFA from dietary sources. However, relatively few studies have explored how n-3 LC-PUFA influence reproductive fitness, particularly in the context of sexual selection. Here, we show that experimental reduction in the level of n-3 LC-PUFA in the diet of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) depresses a male's share of paternity when sperm compete for fertilization, confirming that the currently observed trend for reduced n-3 LC-PUFA in western diets has important implications for individual reproductive fitness.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009 Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Md Moshiur
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009 Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Clelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gasparini
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Deakin University, Warrnambool, Victoria 3280, Australia.
authors.forename: Giovanni M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Turchini
authors.affiliation: Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009 Western Australia, Australia jonathan.evans@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D008297:Male; D011036:Poecilia / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3
keywords: condition dependent; ejaculate quality; fertilization; sexual selection