Tiny crustacean big on reproduction

When it comes to sexual reproduction, it turns out that size does matter, at least for a group of ancient crustaceans called ostracods. Modern versions of these tiny animals also have extra large sperm, but not to the extent of their relatives 100 million years ago, researchers report in Thursday's edition of the journal Science.A study of preserved shells indicates that the reproductive organ made up as much as one-third of the body of both male and female ostracods and the male's sperm was as long as or longer than its entire body."It seems to be an evolutionarily successful reproduction strategy, even though it comes at an exceedingly high price for both genders, as a lot of energy is invested in producing and carrying such enormous sperm," lead author Renate Matzke-Karasz of Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany, said in a statement.Ostracods are not the only animals with extra-large sperm, it also occurs in fruit flies, scientists have reported.While many animals produce large numbers of sperm, others like the ostracods produce fewer, extra large ones instead as a means of competing with other males to fertilize females.The research was supported by the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, European Union Marie Curie Research and Training Networks, Ludwig-Maximilians University, the Lake Biwa Museum of Japan and the Natural History Museum, London.