Sperm traits in Chinook salmon depend upon activation medium: implications for studies of sperm competition in fishes

Abstract

Sperm traits of externally fertilizing fish species are typically measured in fresh (or salt) water, even though the spawning environment of their ova contains ovarian fluid. In this study, we measured sperm traits of Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum in Artedi, 1792)) in both fresh water and dilute ovarian fluid at 10 and 20 s postactivation, using a computer-assisted sperm analysis system. Spermatozoa swam faster, and had both higher percent motility and a straighter path trajectory for a longer period of forward motility when activated in ovarian fluid compared with activation in fresh water. Comparing sperm activity of 10 males in water versus ovarian fluid, we found a weak but significant correlation for sperm swimming speed at 10 s postactivation (r = 0.34, p = 0.01), but not for any other sperm traits measured. Most important, across males, mean sperm swimming speed in water accounted for <10% of the observed variation in mean sperm swimming speed in ovarian fluid. Thus, we argue that sperm traits measured in fresh water are not particularly relevant to those same traits during normal spawning in this species. We suggest that sperm performance measured in fresh water should be used with caution when comparing the potential for individual males to fertilize ova, especially in studies of sperm competition in externally fertilizing species.