ABSTRACT
Natural selection theory predicts that individuals/sexes will engage in behaviors that maximize their reproductive success. Intersexual differences in reproductive investment and order of gamete release have led to a dichotomy of factors structuring male and female mating strategies in many taxa (Trivers 1972). Because male reproductive success is directly and positively associated with the number of females inseminated (Parker 1984; Prosser et al. 2002), it is advantageous for males to inseminate as many females as possible throughout their lifetime. Conversely, additional mating by females is generally not associated with increased fecundity, and the limited number of ova available for fertilization, coupled with the large energetic investment inherent in vitellogenesis, embryogenesis, and parental care, suggests that females should be highly selective with respect to mate choice.
