Biased sex ratio in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) swimbladder parasite Anguillicola crassus, experimentally induced by 11-ketosterone

• Published in: Journal of Parasitology
• Main Authors: Fazio, G., Moné, H., Mouahid, G., Sasal, P.
• Other Authors: Biologie et écologie tropicale et méditerranéenne 2007-2010 (BETM), Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2008
• Subjects: [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; Anguilla anguilla
• Online Access: https://hal.science/halsde-00344534; https://hal.science/halsde-00344534/document; https://hal.science/halsde-00344534/file/Fazio-Biased-manuscrit.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-1486.1

International audience 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.