Abstract
A change in social status can quickly lead to a change in the quality of the seminal fluid produced by a male Chinook salmon as he responds to increased reproductive competition from higher-status males.
Highlights
Males compete fiercely with other males for access to reproductive partners (Darwin, 1871)
Competition between males can be modulated by social hierarchy: dominant males can monopolise access to females, reducing the risk of sperm competition, and making subordinate males much more likely to face sperm competition whenever they manage to mate
It is known that fast sperm are often more likely to fertilise an egg than slow sperm (Snook, 2005; Pizzari et al, 2008), and the seminal fluid is thought to influence sperm velocity
Summary
Males compete fiercely with other males for access to reproductive partners (Darwin, 1871). Females often mate with multiple males, which means that the ejaculates of the males have to compete with each other in a process known as sperm competition (Parker, 1970). Competition between males can be modulated by social hierarchy: dominant males can monopolise access to females, reducing the risk of sperm competition, and making subordinate males much more likely to face sperm competition whenever they manage to mate.
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