title: Sex in troubled waters: Widespread agricultural contaminant disrupts reproductive behaviour in fish.
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 17β-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 17β-trenbolone was also associated with greater male mass. However, no effect of female exposure to 17β-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 17β-trenbolone, demonstrating the possibility of widespread disruption of mating systems of aquatic organisms by common agricultural contaminants.
authors: School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: michael.g.bertram@monash.edu.
authors: Michael G
authors: MG
authors: Bertram
authors: School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia; Department of Biosciences, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.
authors: Minna
authors: M
authors: Saaristo
authors: ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: John B
authors: JB
authors: Baumgartner
authors: School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Christopher P
authors: CP
authors: Johnstone
authors: Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management (CAPIM), The University of Melbourne, Bio21 Institute, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Mayumi
authors: M
authors: Allinson
authors: 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.
authors: Graeme
authors: G
authors: Allinson
authors: School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Bob B M
authors: BB
authors: Wong
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000728:Androgens / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D011036:Poecilia; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D014204:Trenbolone Acetate / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014204:Trenbolone Acetate
keywords: 17β-Trenbolone; Behavioural ecotoxicology; EDC; Endocrine disrupting chemical; Guppy; Hormonal growth promotant; Poecilia reticulata; Reproductive behaviour; Sexual selection; Trenbolone acetate