Technique for the long-term storage of lobster (Homarus) spermatophores

Abstract

We have developed a procedure for the long-term storage of lobster (Homarus) sperm. Sperm are collected from males by electrically stimulating the area around the gonopore. They are transferred with a bamboo stick to a plastic test tube containing paraffin oil and are stored for variable periods of time at 4–7°C. Sperm stored up to 289 days appear morphologically normal (equivalent to unstored sperm) when examined by phase contrast microscopy and electron microscopy, and morphologically normal sperm are able to undergo acrosome reactions. After longer periods of storage, degenerative changes begin to develop in sperm. These include loss of the nuclear spikes, condensation of the subacrosomal material, and distortion of the acrosome. Sperm stored better in spermatophores that had thick walls than in those with thin walls. In some spermatophores, bacteria were found in the sperm mass after storage; in general, sperm in these spermatophores were morphologically abnormal. This technique provides a means for saving lobster sperm for subsequent use in experiments or for artificial insemination of female lobsters. It may be adaptable to other invertebrate species that produce spermatophores.