No support for cryptic choice by ovarian fluid in an external fertilizer

Abstract

Whether the ovarian fluid (OF) represents a selective environment influencing cryp‐tic female choice was tested using an external fertilizer experiencing intense sperm competition and large effects of OF on sperm swimming behavior—the Arctic charr (<i>Salvelinus alpinus</i>). We physically separated the OF from the eggs of reproductively active females and reintroduced either their own OF or fluid from another female to the eggs. The eggs were then fertilized in vitro in a replicated split‐brood design with sperm from two males under synchronized sperm competition trials, while also meas‐uring sperm velocity of the individual males in the individual OFs. We found large effects of males, but no effect of females (i.e., eggs) on paternity, determined from microsatellites. More important, we found no effect of OF treatments on the relative paternity of the two competing males in each pair. This experimental setup does not provide support for the hypothesis that OF plays an important role as medium for cryptic female choice in charr. Power analyses revealed that our sample size is large enough to detect medium‐sized changes in relative paternity (medium‐sized effect sizes), but not large enough to detect small changes in relative paternity. More stud‐ies are needed before a conclusion can be drawn about OF’s potential influence on paternity under sperm competition—even in charr.