Abstract
Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are seasonal breeders with a time lag between mating and nesting periods. We therefore investigated whether female turtles store sperm like some other animals by histologically and ultrastructurally analyzing oviducts collected from three mature female free-ranging green turtles during the breeding season in the Ogasawara Islands, Japan. The oviduct comprised an infundibulum, magnum, isthmus, uterus, and vagina. Sperm was found in the isthmus of all turtles examined. Some spermatozoa were found in the duct and acini of glands in the isthmus of two turtles with oviducts containing eggs, and a few were also located in the transition area between the uterus and vagina of one of the turtles. On the other hand, we also found abundant spermatozoa on the luminal surface of the isthmus of one turtle captured during mating. In most reptiles, fertilization occurs in the infundibulum or albumen region, and thus the isthmus near those areas might be suitable for storing sperm in female turtles.
Highlights
Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are seasonal breeders with a time lag between mating and nesting periods
Oviducts were collected from three dead mature female green turtles that were harvested and slaughtered as food by following Fisheries Adjustment Regulations of Tokyo which is strictly regulated under the permission of the governor of Tokyo, in Chichi-jima, Ogasawara Islands during the 2020 mating season between March and April
Sperm is stored in glands of the isthmus that is located posterior to areas of albumen glands where albumen is secreted around the yolky ovum in turtles[9,10,20]
Summary
Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are seasonal breeders with a time lag between mating and nesting periods. Fertilization occurs in the infundibulum or albumen region, and the isthmus near those areas might be suitable for storing sperm in female turtles. In a captive population, successive clutches demonstrate high fertility the mating was only observed before the first clutch was laid[8] These findings speculate that sperm storage in female green turtles. Sperm storage is reported in female oviducts of some mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles, including other turtle species[9,10,11,12] In these species, sperm stored in the oviduct can remain viable for long periods, which ensures fertilization despite asynchrony between insemination and o vulation[13,14]. Sea turtles play important roles as prey, consumers, competitors, and hosts
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