Black goby territorial males adjust their ejaculate's characteristics in response to the presence of sneakers

In many species, males can rapidly adjust their ejaculate performance in response to changing levels of sperm competition, an ability that is probably mediated by seminal fluid adaptive plasticity. In the black goby, Gobius niger, territorial males attach viscous ejaculate trails to the nest roof, from which sperm are slowly released into the water during the long-lasting spawning events. Sneaker males release their sperm in the vicinity of the nest, and territorial males try to keep them at a distance by patrolling their territory. We show here that territorial males' ejaculate trails released a higher proportion of their sperm in the presence of a single sneaker, but this proportion decreased when there were three sneakers, an effect that is most likely mediated by a change in the seminal fluid composition. Field observations showed that when multiple sneaking attempts occurred, territorial males spent more time outside the nest, suggesting that ejaculation rate and territory defence are traded-off. Altogether, these results suggest that the adjustment of sperm release from the ejaculate may be strategic, guaranteeing a more continuous concentration of the territorial male's sperm in the nest, although at a lower level, when he is engaged in prolonged territory defence outside the nest.