Meeting Abstract
Male Gambusia possess a modified, elongated anal fin, a gonopodium, which facilitates sperm transfer to females resulting in internal fertilization. Developmental exposure to hormonally active environmental factors has the ability to inhibit gonopodium development resulting in decreased male anal fin elongation. Elevated levels of hormonally active chemicals, such as pharmaceutical estrogens, may be found in wastewater treatment sewage plant waters. Here we study two populations of Gambusia: one from the local municipality drinking water source (Lake O’Donnell, Sewanee, TN) and another from the associated municipal sewage treatment plant. We investigated if male fish from the polluted treatment lagoons displayed altered or impaired gonopodium morphology, putatively with with shorter rays in their gonopodium, as compared to those of fish from the reference lake. We discuss our results in relation to the elevated levels of municipal pollution down-pipe from a large university and it’s potential ability to de-masculinize wildlife.
