The effect of mating on female reproduction across hermaphroditic freshwater snails

Elferra M. Swart, Naima C. Starkloff, Sanne Ypenburg, Jacintha Ellers, Nico M. van Straalen, Joris M. Koene*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    Sexual conflicts often arise between mating partners because each sex tries to maximize its own reproductive success. One major male strategy to influence a partner's resource allocation is the transfer of accessory gland proteins. This has been shown to occur in simultaneous hermaphrodites as well as in organisms with separate sexes. Although accessory gland proteins affect the investment of resources in both male and female function, we here specifically focus on female investment. In the great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, previous studies found that the accessory gland protein ovipostatin reduced female fecundity by suppressing egg laying in the partner in the short term (days). To investigate whether this reduction in egg laying is a commonly found effect of mating in freshwater snails, we compared egg output for evidence of suppression in isolated and paired snails of eight pulmonate species. Furthermore, we determined whether the suppression of egg laying caused a shift in resource allocation to the eggs. We found that in five of the eight species egg laying was suppressed, with fewer and lighter egg masses being laid when they had access to a mating partner. In mated pairs of L. stagnalis and Biomphalaria alexandrina, allocation of resources to the eggs was altered in opposite ways: individuals of L. stagnalis laid fewer but larger and heavier eggs; individuals of B. alexandrina laid smaller and lighter eggs, with no change in egg numbers. Such changes in the female function are most likely the result of combined effects of receiving accessory gland proteins, and the cost of mating in both male and female roles. Thus, effects of the maternal environment, including the receipt of accessory gland proteins, on offspring investment are not restricted to species with separate sexes.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article numbere12275
    Pages (from-to)12
    Number of pages1
    JournalInvertebrate Biology
    Volume139
    Issue number1
    Early online date16 Jan 2020
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Mar 2020

    Funding

    We thank C. Popelier for technical assistance, K. Jordaens, P. David, M. Habib and L. van Woeren for help with species collection and Z.V. Zizzari, M. Lodi, Y. Nakadera, S. van Iersel for helpful comments and conductive discussions and S. Santini (CNRS/AMU IGS UMR7256) for the phylogenetic program ( www.phylogeny.fr ). This research was supported by the Research Council for Earth and Life Sciences (ALW) with financial aid from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) grant 819.01.007 to J.M.K.

    FundersFunder number
    ALW
    CNRS/AMUIGS UMR7256
    Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
    Research Council for Earth and Life Sciences
    Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek819.01.007

      Keywords

      • egg
      • mollusc
      • reproduction
      • seminal fluid protein
      • sexual reproduction

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