DURATIONS OF GAMETE MOTILITY AND CONJUGATION ABILITY OF ULVA COMPRESSA (ULVOPHYCEAE)(1)

The present study was designed to develop a technique for crossing and to gain insight into how sexual reproduction contributes to the maintenance of local populations of Ulva compressa L. To examine the durations of gamete motility and conjugation ability, freshly released gametes were incubated for various periods of time prior to mixing both mating types. The conjugation ability of the gametes gradually declined after being released from the thalli when the gametes were incubated without mixing with the opposite mating type. The ability to conjugate decreased by half after 6 h, although most of the gametes remained motile. The gametes released 4 h later had the same level of conjugation ability when mixed immediately after releasing. When the mature thalli were wrapped in a moist paper towel to prevent gametes from being released, the gametes were preservable for 7 h without a significant decrease in their conjugation ability. Conjugation occurred soon after mixing gametes of both mating types and reached a plateau after 30 s. However, conjugation rates did not exceed a rate of ∼70%, even though freshly released gametes were used. Interestingly, a portion of the gametes newly conjugated 30 min after mixing both mating types, and conjugation rates reached a second plateau at ∼90%. Gametes with delayed conjugation are provided some period of time that allows them to be transported away and increases their chances of mating with more distant populations, thus contributing to the maintenance of genetic variation.