Biased Sex Ratio in the European Eel (Anguilla anguilla) Swim-Bladder Parasite Anguillicola crassus, Experimentally Induced by 11-Ketotestosterone

• Published in: The Journal of parasitology Vol. 94; no. 4; pp. 956 - 958
• Main Authors: Fazio, G, Moné, H, Mouahid, G, Sasal, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence, KS American Society of Parasitologists 01-08-2008; Allen Press Inc
• Subjects: Air Sacs - parasitology; Anguilla - parasitology; Anguilla anguilla; Anguillicola crassus; animal parasitic nematodes; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Brackish; Dracunculoidea - drug effects; Dracunculoidea - physiology; eel; Eels; Endocrine disruptors; endocrine-disrupting chemicals; Female; Females; Fish; Fish Diseases - parasitology; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; Hormones; Invertebrates; ketosteroids; Laboratories; Larvae; Larval development; Male; male-biased sex ratio; Males; Marine; Nemathelminthia. Plathelmintha; Nematoda; Nematodes; Parasite hosts; Parasites; Parasitology; Physiology; Pollutants; Research Notes; Sex; Sex Ratio; Spirurida Infections - parasitology; Spirurida Infections - veterinary; steroid hormones; Steroids; swim bladder; Testosterone - analogs & derivatives; Testosterone - toxicity; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Water pollution; France; Sex ratio; Vertebrata; Anguilla anguilla; Pisces; Helmintha; Parasite; Nemathelminthia; Invertebrata; Nematoda
• ISSN: 0022-3395; 1937-2345
• DOI: 10.1645/GE-1486.1

Parasites are intimately connected to the host in which they live, and some may be affected by the polluted environment of their host. The present study describes the effect of a steroid hormone (11-ketotestosterone) on the sex ratio of the invasive hematophagous nematode Anguillicola crassus Kuwahara, Niimi & Itagaki, 1974, when experimentally injected to European eels, Anguilla anguilla. Our results showed that this steroid induced a significant male-biased ratio in the nematode A. crassus infrapopulations, suggesting that the presence of endocrine disruptors in the environment may lead to skewed sex ratios among parasites.