Males conditionally inseminate at three female body locations according to female mating history and female maturity status in a squid

Abstract

In some squids, such as those in the family Loliginidae, upon copulation, females receive and store male-delivered sperm capsules, spermatangia, at two different body locations: the buccal membrane and the distal end of the oviduct. This insemination site dimorphism is associated with alternative reproductive strategies. However, in Loliolus sumatrensis, a species of Loliginidae, the females possess three insemination sites: buccal membrane (BM), basal left IV arm (ARM) and lateral head behind the left eye (EYE), therefore we studied such the unusual phenomena. We developed microsatellite markers and genotyped the paternity of each spermatangium on three sites. We found multiple paternity at every single site and simultaneous usage of all three sites by a few males. The seasonal dynamics of a population in the Seto Inland Sea revealed a set priority for the initial use of insemination sites as BM, followed by ARM and then EYE, whereas the maximum number of stored spermatangia was greater in EYE > ARM > BM. Female maturity status was correlated with the usage pattern of insemination sites but not with the number of stored spermatangia at any insemination site. These results suggest that a male squid inseminates at different locations according to female mating history and female maturity status.