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Aquat Toxicol

Title:		Altered reproductive behaviours in male mosquitofish living downstream from a sewage treatment plant
Author(s):		Saaristo M; Myers J; Jacques-Hamilton R; Allinson M; Yamamoto A; Allinson G; Pettigrove V; Wong BB;
Address:		"School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia; Abo Akademi University, Department of Biosciences, Turku, Finland. Electronic address: minna.saaristo@monash.edu. Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management (CAPIM), Department of Zoology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: jhmyers@unimelb.edu.au. School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: rowan.jacques.hamilton@gmail.com. Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management (CAPIM), School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: mayumia@unimelb.edu.au. Urban Environment Group, Osaka City Institute for Public Health and Environmental Sciences, Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: yamamoto@iphes.city.osaka.jp. Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management (CAPIM), School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: gallinson@unimelb.edu.au. Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management (CAPIM), Department of Zoology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: vpet@unimelb.edu.au. School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: bob.wong@monash.edu"
Journal Title:		Aquat Toxicol
Year:		2014
Volume:		20140212
Issue:
Page Number:		58 - 64
DOI:		10.1016/j.aquatox.2014.02.001
ISSN/ISBN:		1879-1514 (Electronic) 0166-445X (Linking)
Abstract:		"Freshwater environments are common repositories for the discharge of large volumes of domestic and industrial waste, particularly through wastewater effluent. One common group of chemical pollutants present in wastewater are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which can induce morphological and behavioural changes in aquatic organisms. The aim of this study was to compare the reproductive behaviour and morphology of a freshwater fish, the mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), collected from two sites (wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and a putative pristine site). The mosquitofish is a sexually dimorphic livebearer with a coercive mating system. Males inseminate females using their modified anal fin as an intromittent organ. Despite this, females are able to exert some control over the success of male mating attempts by selectively associating with, or avoiding, certain males over others. Using standard laboratory assays of reproductive behaviour, we found that mosquitofish males living in close proximity to WWTP showed increased mating activity compared to those inhabiting a pristine site. More specifically, during behavioural trials in which males were allowed to interact with females separated by a transparent divider, we found that WWTP-males spent more time associating with females. Concordant with this, when males and females were subsequently allowed to interact freely, WWTP-males also spent more time chasing and orienting towards the females. As a result, females from both sites showed more interest towards the WWTP-site males. Male anal fin morphology, however, did not differ between sites. Our study illustrates that lifetime exposure to WWTP-effluents can greatly affect male behaviour. The results underscore the importance of behaviour as a potential tool for investigating unknown contaminants in the environment"
Keywords:		"Animals Cyprinodontiformes/*physiology Female Male Reproduction *Sewage Sexual Behavior, Animal/*drug effects Water Pollutants, Chemical/*toxicity EDCs Endocrine disrupting chemicals Mosquitofish Reproductive behaviour Sexual selection Wastewater treatmen;"
Notes:		"MedlineSaaristo, Minna Myers, Jackie Jacques-Hamilton, Rowan Allinson, Mayumi Yamamoto, Atsushi Allinson, Graeme Pettigrove, Vincent Wong, Bob B M eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Netherlands 2014/02/27 Aquat Toxicol. 2014 Apr; 149:58-64. doi: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2014.02.001. Epub 2014 Feb 12"