W&M ScholarWorks VIMS Articles Virginia Institute of Marine Science 3-2003 Evidence for sperm limitation in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus AH Hines PR Jivoff PJ Bushmann J van Montfrans Virginia Institute of Marine Science et al Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsarticles Part of the Marine Biology Commons Recommended Citation Hines, AH; Jivoff, PR; Bushmann, PJ; van Montfrans, J; and al, et, Evidence for sperm limitation in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus (2003). Bulletin of Marine Science, 72(2), 287-310. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsarticles/1521 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in VIMS Articles by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE, 72(2): 287±310, 2003 EVIDENCE FOR SPERM LIMITATION IN THE BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTES SAPIDUS Anson H. Hines, Paul R. Jivoff, Paul J. Bushmann, Jacques van Montfrans, Sherry A. Reed, Donna L. Wolcott and Thomas G. Wolcott ABSTRACT Reproductive success of female blue crabs may be limited by the amount of sperm received during the female's single, lifetime mating. Sperm must be stored in seminal receptacles until eggs are produced and fertilized months to years after mating. Further, intense ®shing pressure impacts male abundance, male size and population sex ratio, which affect ejaculate quantity. We measured temporal variation in seminal receptacle contents in relation to brood production for two stocks differing in both ®shing pressure on males and latitudinal effects on repro- ductive season: Chesapeake Bay, Maryland and Virginia, experienced intensive ®shing and relatively short reproductive season; and the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, experienced lower exploitation and longer reproductive season.