A spermatophore, from Ancient Greek σπέρμα ( spérma), meaning "seed", and -φόρος ( -phóros), meaning "bearing", or sperm ampulla is a capsule or mass containing spermatozoa created by males of various animal species, especially and , and transferred in entirety to the female's ovipore during reproduction. Spermatophores may additionally contain nourishment for the female, in which case it is called a nuptial gift, as in the instance of Tettigoniidae.
Arthropods
Spermatophores are the norm in
and several soil arthropods. In various insects, such as
Tettigoniidae, the spermatophore is often surrounded by a proteinaceous
spermatophylax. The function of the spermatophylax is to cause the female to relinquish some of her control over the insemination process allowing full sperm transfer from the spermatophore.
Some species of butterflies and moths also deposit a spermatophore into the female during copulation. Examples include the speckled wood butterfly
or the
ornate moth, where males invest up to 10% of their body mass in creating a single spermatophore.
Malaysian stalk-eyed flies also deposit a spermatophore into the female during copulation, but the spermatophore is very small in size and occupies only part of the female's vaginal capacity. This is likely an adaptation to the tendency towards high mating frequency in this species.
These butterfly species have been known to use
mud-puddling behavior, as demonstrated by
Dryas iulia, to obtain the minerals needed in spermatophore production.
Cephalopods
Most cephalopods use a specialized arm called the
hectocotylus to deliver spermatophores to the female. The spermatophores of the giant Pacific octopus are about a meter (or yard) long.
A complex hydraulic mechanism releases the sperm from the spermatophore, and it is stored internally by the female.
In some cephalopods, like the argonaut octopus, the arm is detachable and capable of autonomous movement and prolonged survival inside the female, to the point that it was mistaken for a parasitic worm by
George Cuvier, who gave the hectocotylus (Latin: "hundred" "hollow thing") its name. In some cases, spermatophores from multiple males might be present inside the same female simultaneously.
[Marah J. Hardt, Sex in the Sea: Our Intimate Connection with Sex-Changing Fish, Romantic Lobsters, Kinky Squid, and Other Salty Erotica of the Deep]
Salamanders and newts
Males of most
salamander and
newt species create spermatophores, which the females may choose to take up or not, depending on the success of the male's mating display.
See also
-
Phrynus longipes § Mating and reproduction
