Phenotypic/genotypic sex mismatches and temperature-dependent sex determination in a wild population of an Old World atherinid, the cobaltcap silverside Hypoatherina tsurugae.

Abstract

Several New World atheriniforms have been recognized as temperature-dependent sex determined (TSD) and yet possess a genotypic sex determinant (amhy) which is primarily functional at mid-range temperatures. In contrast, little is known about the sex determination in Old World atheriniforms, even though such knowledge is crucial to understand the evolution of sex determination mechanisms in fishes and to model the effects of global warming and climate change on their populations. This study examined the effects of water temperature on sex determination of an Old World atheriniform, the cobaltcap silverside Hypoatherina tsurugae, in which we recently described an amhy homologue. We first assessed the occurrence of phenotypic/genotypic sex mismatches in wild specimens from Tokyo Bay for three years (2014-2016) and used otolith analysis to estimate their birth dates and approximate thermal history during the presumptive period of sex determination. Phenotypic sex ratios became progressively biased towards males (47.3%-78.2%) during the period and were associated with year-to-year increases in the frequency of XX-males (7.3%-52.0%) and decreases in XY/YY-females (14.5%-0%). The breeding season had similar length but was delayed by about 1month per year between 2014 and 2016, causing larvae to experience higher temperatures during the period of sex determination from year to year. Larval rearing experiments confirmed increased likelihood of feminization and masculinization at low and high temperatures, respectively. The results suggest that cobaltcap silverside has TSD, or more specifically the coexistence of genotypic and environmental sex determinants, and that it affects sex ratios in wild populations.