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Figure 2 | BMC Evolutionary Biology

Figure 2

From: Why small males have big sperm: dimorphic squid sperm linked to alternative mating behaviours

Figure 2

Size distribution of sperm recovered from males and females. (a) Anatomical view of sperm storage sites on the female where spermatophores are attached by consort (red arrowhead) and sneaker (blue arrowhead) males. (b) The spermatophores are attached by consort males to the inside wall of the oviduct (red broken line) at the posterior end. The oviduct was dissected to show its inside where sperm mass were attached. (c) Sneaker males attach spermatophores to the skin surface (blue arrowhead) adjacent to the seminal receptacle (yellow arrowhead) located under the mouth. Sneaker sperm released from sperm masses are transported to the seminal receptacle by an unknown mechanism. Histograms of head length (d) and flagellar length (e) of sperm collected from sperm masses in the oviduct (Inside oviduct), inside the seminal receptacle and from around the seminal receptacle periphery (Around seminal receptacle), compared with sperm recovered from consort and sneaker spermatophores.

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