Intersex tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) from a contaminated river in Taiwan: A case study.

Peter Sun,Shinn-Shoung Tsai

doi:10.3390/toxins1010014

Abstract

River pollution in Taiwan is rather serious, but so far there have been no reports of fish intersex problems. This report reveals that 50% male tilapia in the Era-Jiin River of southern Taiwan were found to be feminized in an October 8, 1994 collection from station EJ-2 of this river. After discounting all other possible causative factors, and correlating with endocrine disrupting chemicals found in this river, we suggest that there is a great possibility that the occurrence of intersex tilapia was caused by these chemicals. The above finding suggests that greater attention needs to be given to endocrine disrupting chemicals problems.

Highlights

Greater attention is gradually being paid by scientists to the imposex and intersex phenomena of aquatic animals
This study suggests there is a great possibility that the intersex problem of tilapia at EJ-2 station of Era-Jiin River was caused by endocrine disrupting chemicals, and this morphological change in sexual organ can be used as an environmental contamination indicator for tilapia
The 18 tilapia collected at station EJ-2 on October 8, 1994 were from serial nos. 17 to 34 of this river

Summary

Introduction

Greater attention is gradually being paid by scientists to the imposex and intersex phenomena of aquatic animals. These phenomena are usually correlated with the presence of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the waters. The imposex phenomenon is very common; but intersex. Imposex populations of Hexaplex trunculus (Gastropoda, Muricidal) from a lagoon in Italy and the coast of Croatia were found due to organotin pollution [1]. Along the Portuguese coast, imposex netted whelk Nassarius reticulates were found due to organotin contamination [3]. On the coasts of China, imposex of gastropods related to organotin pollution is a widely distributed problem. Imposex has been found in over 150 gastropod species [4]

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Conclusion