Abstract
Previous work has demonstrated the presence of various sex steroids in molluscs and suggested their possible functions in the control of reproduction. However, their potential roles in early sexual development have remained unexplored. The results of the present study showed that injections of estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) all accelerated gonadal differentiation and shifted sex ratios toward more males in the sea scallop. Morphological changes were also observed in the females of steroid-injected groups. Estradiol appeared to stimulate oocyte growth while testosterone appeared to induce degeneration of oocytes. No parallel changes were noted in males of steroid-injected groups. Hermaphroditic animals were also found in the progesterone- and DHEA-injected groups. Together, these results support the hypothesis that sex steroids are involved in invertebrate reproduction and may be exploited for gender manipulation in bivalve aquaculture.
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