Competition between Palla and Normal Bearing Spermatozoa of Poecilia reticulata (Pisces: Poeciliidae)

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Abstract
P. reticulata females store the spermatozoa from single or multiple inseminations within their ovary folds, using them for the fertilization of batches of ova at monthly intervals. Insemination of virgin females with sperm from heterozygous palla mutants (Pl pl+) elicits the competition between the palla gene-bearing sperm and those bearing its normal allele, to the disadvantage of the former. In the brood sequence the palla young percentage undergoes significant and progressive reduction with time. The fertility of palla-bearing and normal sperm is determined by their own genetic content, unequally affected by delayed fecundations. This result can be regarded as giving an example of haploid effect in fish.