Sewage-induced alterations in the sex of Oreochromis mossambicus: A plausible cue of endocrine disruption

Abstract

Oreochromis mossambicus collected from Koraiyar, a tributary of the river Cauvery exhibited variations in their external genital features such as enlarged male genital papilla among equal sized fish, branching or budding in existing male genitalia, development of imposex (male genital papilla in female fish) and increased gonado-somatic index (GSI) and elevated male sex ratio in the population. All these variations at different levels is observed in their external genitalia indicated that they were all prompted towards maleness. This ambiguous sexual characteristic might be caused by endocrine disrupting environmental androgenic or anti-estrogenic substances, perhaps, present in the agrochemicals and sewage-mixed Koraiyar water.

Keywords:

• Cauvery
• Oreochromis mossambicus
• intersex
• endocrine disruption
• genitalia
• anti-estrogen
• androgen

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the authorities of Bharathidasan University & DST, FIST for the facilities; and would like to thank DOD, Govt. of India for the financial assistance under the Biomarker project.