| Title: | Sex in troubled waters: Widespread agricultural contaminant disrupts reproductive behaviour in fish |
| Author(s): | Bertram MG; Saaristo M; Baumgartner JB; Johnstone CP; Allinson M; Allinson G; Wong BB; |
| Address: | "School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: michael.g.bertram@monash.edu. School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia; Department of Biosciences, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland. ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia. Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management (CAPIM), The University of Melbourne, Bio21 Institute, Victoria, Australia. Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management (CAPIM), The University of Melbourne, Bio21 Institute, Victoria, Australia; Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI), Victoria, Australia" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.03.002 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1095-6867 (Electronic) 0018-506X (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Chemical pollution is a pervasive and insidious agent of environmental change. One class of chemical pollutant threatening ecosystems globally is the endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The capacity of EDCs to disrupt development and reproduction is well established, but their effects on behaviour have received far less attention. Here, we investigate the impact of a widespread androgenic EDC on reproductive behaviour in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata. We found that short-term exposure of male guppies to an environmentally relevant concentration of 17beta-trenbolone-a common environmental pollutant associated with livestock production-influenced the amount of male courtship and forced copulatory behaviour (sneaking) performed toward females, as well as the receptivity of females toward exposed males. Exposure to 17beta-trenbolone was also associated with greater male mass. However, no effect of female exposure to 17beta-trenbolone was detected on female reproductive behaviour, indicating sex-specific vulnerability at this dosage. Our study is the first to show altered male reproductive behaviour following exposure to an environmentally realistic concentration of 17beta-trenbolone, demonstrating the possibility of widespread disruption of mating systems of aquatic organisms by common agricultural contaminants" |
| Keywords: | "*Agriculture Androgens/analysis/pharmacology Animals Body Weight/drug effects Endocrine Disruptors/adverse effects Female Male Pigmentation/drug effects Poecilia Sex Characteristics Sexual Behavior, Animal/*drug effects Trenbolone Acetate/analysis/pharmac;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineBertram, Michael G Saaristo, Minna Baumgartner, John B Johnstone, Christopher P Allinson, Mayumi Allinson, Graeme Wong, Bob B M eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2015/03/24 Horm Behav. 2015 Apr; 70:85-91. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.03.002. Epub 2015 Mar 19" |
