Reproduction in Brachyura

McLay, Colin L.; Becker, Carola

doi:10.1163/9789004190832_006

Cited by 19 publications

(46 citation statements)

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“…In accordance with Hartnoll (), Guinot et al. (), and McLay & Becker (), we define the vulva as the outermost structure of the vagina, while Hayer et al. () defined the whole ventral part of the dorippid vagina as vulva.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Morphology of the female reproductive system of three dorippid crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Dorippidae) and the role of accessory cuticle structures associated with seminal receptacles

Vehof

Scholtz

Becker

2017

Invertebrate Biology

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The reproductive systems of crabs reveal characters of considerable importance for the understanding of brachyuran phylogeny and evolution. The Dorippoidea show several plesiomorphic characters within Eubrachyura and similarities to podotreme crabs. Hence, they are often considered as an early diverging lineage, sometimes even as the sister group to all remaining eubrachyurans. Due to their role as prime candidates for putative plesiomorphic characters of the reproductive system of the Eubrachyura, we compared the morphology of the vaginae, seminal receptacles, and ovaries of three dorippid species using histological methods, micro‐computed tomography, and 3‐D reconstructions. Despite the putative phylogenetic position of dorippids, the female reproductive system shows features that are regarded as derived characters in eubrachyurans, including a concave vagina and a ventral‐type seminal receptacle. In contrast to other eubrachyurans, the oviduct does not enter the seminal receptacle directly but through specific cuticular valves. The female reproductive systems of Dorippe sinica and Dorippe quadridens are remarkable in further aspects. The seminal receptacles of both species are completely cuticle‐lined and have accessory sperm storage structures, the bursae. Our findings on the morphology of the female reproductive system of dorippids with its unique combination of basal, derived, and new characters challenges the prevailing hypothesis on the evolution of sperm storage organs in Eubrachyura.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Morphology of the female reproductive system of three dorippid crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Dorippidae) and the role of accessory cuticle structures associated with seminal receptacles

Vehof

Scholtz

Becker

2017

Invertebrate Biology

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“…The female reproductive system of D. crenulatus follows the general pattern of Eubrachyura with paired ovaries, seminal receptacles, vaginae, and vulvae (Hartnoll, ; McLay & Becker, ; McLay & López Greco, ), with the particularity of having seminal receptacles capable of great variation in size and shape related to the amount of stored sperm.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Secretory activity of the dorsal SR wall of brachyurans has been routinely addressed, but the role of these secretions remains unclear in almost all species studied to date (McLay & Becker, ; Zara, Raggi Pereira, & Sant'Anna, ). The usually proposed functions are sperm plug dissolution (Jennings, McLay, & Brockerhoff, ), sperm plug formation and maintenance of bacterial populations within the SRs (Jensen et al, ), and dehiscence of spermatophores and sperm maintenance (Anilkumar, Sudha, & Subramoniam, ; Diesel, ; Sal Moyano, Gavio, & Luppi, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, the females do not need to re‐mate between successive spawns. (Asakura, ; McLay & Becker, ; Sainte‐Marie, ; Shuster, ). The storage of sperm from different mates is common among brachyuran crabs (Christy, ; Orensanz, Parma, Armstrong, Armstrong, & Wardrup, ) and hence the SRs become an arena for post‐copulatory sexual selection, that is, sperm competition (Jensen & Bentzen, ) and female cryptic choice (Dennenmoser & Thiel, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Morphological studies of the SRs are essential to understand the patterns of sperm use, the mating strategies and any ecological trait related to reproductive behavior (e.g., operational sex ratios, intraspecific competition, social structure, and distribution patterns). The knowledge of the functional morphology of the SRs is also of interest to test current hypothesis on the reproductive traits of brachyuran crabs within an evolutionary context (McLay & Becker, ; McLay & López Greco, ; Rodgers, Reaka, & Hines, ; Sainte‐Marie, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Functional morphology of the female reproductive system of a crab with highly extensible seminal receptacles and extreme sperm storage capacity

Farias

Spivak

Luppi

2017

Journal of Morphology

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We studied the functional morphology of the female reproductive system of the purple stone crab Danielethus crenulatus. The most remarkable feature is the relative storage capacity and extensibility of the seminal receptacles. These receptacles are a pair of simple sacs that lack internal structures dividing the internal lumen. Differences in seminal receptacle size and contents are accompanied by conspicuous changes in receptacle lining at a tissue level. Full seminal receptacles contain discrete sperm masses formed by hardened fluid and densely packed spermatophores. Different sperm masses are likely from different mates and their stratified disposition within the seminal receptacles is compatible with rival sperm displacement and last sperm precedence. Additionally, the anatomical structure of the vulva and vagina suggest active female control over copula. We discuss our results in the general context of sperm storage in brachyurans and the implications for the mating system of this species.

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Structural specialties, curiosities, and record‐breaking features of crustacean reproduction

Vogt

2016

Journal of Morphology

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Crustaceans are a morphologically, physiologically, and ecologically highly diverse animal group and correspondingly diverse are their reproductive characteristics. They have evolved structural specialties with respect to penis construction, sperm form, sperm storage, fertilization, and brood care. Unique in the animal kingdom are safety lines that safeguard hatching and first molting. Further curiosities are dwarf males in parasitic and sessile crustaceans and bacteria-induced feminization and gigantism of crustacean hosts. Record-breaking features are relative penis length, sperm size, clutch size, chromosome number, viability of dormant eggs, and fossil ages of penis, sperm, and brooded embryos. These examples from a single invertebrate subphylum and a single life history aspect illustrate that morphological solutions to functional requirements can be as spectacular as behavioral adaptations. They may provide valuable sources for comparative morphologists, ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and applied biologists to advance topical issues such as sperm competition, posthumous paternity, evolution of brood care, adaptation to freshwater, infectious feminization, sustainable male-based fishery, maintenance of genetic diversity under conditions of limited mating opportunity, and long-term impact of pollution on genotype and phenotype. J. Morphol. 277:1399-1422, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Reproduction in Brachyura

Cited by 19 publications

References 0 publications

Morphology of the female reproductive system of three dorippid crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Dorippidae) and the role of accessory cuticle structures associated with seminal receptacles

Morphology of the female reproductive system of three dorippid crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Dorippidae) and the role of accessory cuticle structures associated with seminal receptacles

Functional morphology of the female reproductive system of a crab with highly extensible seminal receptacles and extreme sperm storage capacity

Structural specialties, curiosities, and record‐breaking features of crustacean reproduction

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