DOI: 10.5061/dryad.0p2ngf26d
title: Female reproductive fluid and male seminal fluid: A non-gametic conflict for post-mating control

description: Growing evidence shows that non-gametic components released by both males
 and females can significantly drive sperm competition outcomes. Seminal
 fluid (SF) was shown to influence paternity success by affecting rival
 males’ sperm performance, and, in some species with male alternative
 reproductive tactics, to selectively decrease the fertilization success of
 males of the opposite tactic. Female reproductive fluid (FRF) has been
 proven to differentially influence ejaculates of different males and bias
 fertilization towards specific partners. Whether, and with what outcome,
 these two processes can intersect to influence sperm competition is still
 unknown. Here we explore this scenario in the grass goby (Zosterisessor
 ophiocephalus), a fish with territorial-sneaker reproductive tactics,
 where sneaker males can exploit the territorials’ SF while penalizing
 territorial sperm performance with their own fluid. To test whether FRF
 can rebalance the ejaculate competition in favour of territorial males, we
 used in vitro fertilization with a SF mixture (territorial + sneaker),
 using increasing concentrations of FRF, to simulate the natural conditions
 that ejaculates encounter towards the eggs. Our findings revealed a
 differential effect of FRF on the different tactics’ fertilization
 success, favouring territorial ejaculates, possibly through an attenuation
 of the detrimental effects of sneaker SF, and enabling females to regain
 control over the fertilization process.
description: GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Title of Dataset: "Female reproductive fluid
 and male seminal fluid: a non-gametic conflict for post-mating
 control" 2. Author Information A. Principal Investigator Contact
 Information Name: Maria Berica Rasotto Institution: University of Padova -
 Department of Biology Address: Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, ITALY
 Email: mariaberica.rasotto@unipd.it <br> B. Corresponding author
 Contact Information Name: Livia Pinzoni Institution: University of Padova
 - Department of Biology Address: Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, ITALY
 Email: livia.pinzoni@unipd.it 3. Date of data collection: March 2022 -
 June 2022 DATA & FILE OVERVIEW File Name: dataset.csv File
 description: dataset supporting "Female reproductive fluid and male
 seminal fluid: a non-gametic conflict for post-mating control" The
 dataset contains morphological data of grass goby males and females used
 for the experiment and in-vitro fertilization success data of each
 experimental male x two experimental females, under two different
 treatments (concentrations of female reproductive fluid in the
 fertilization medium). DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION: 1. Number of variables:
 13 2. Number of cases/rows: 69 3. Variable List: ID - Identity code of the
 experimental male TACTIC - Reproductive tactic of the male male\_LT -
 total body length of the male (in cm) male\_WEIGHT - body weight of the
 male (in g) FEMALE - Identity code of the experimental female female\_LT -
 total body length of the female (in cm) female\_WEIGHT - body weight of
 the female (in g) TREATMENT - Concentration of female reproductive fluid
 (low or high) TOT - Total number of eggs used in the in-vitro
 fertilisation trial (coming from the 2 females) FERT - Number of
 fertilised eggsNON-FERT - Number of non-fertilised eggsprop.fert -
 proportion of fertilised eggs FERT% - percentage of fertilised eggs