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A morphological and experimental study of gonadal sex differentiation in the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri

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Summary

Gonadal sex differentiation in rainbow trout takes place between day (D) 45 and D 55 after fertilization. Until D 400 the male GSI is maintained at about 0.4‰, and that of the female at about 1‰. Treatment with N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) influences the sex ratio and GSI, and is therefore unsuitable as a solvent for steroids to be added to the aquarium water for examination of their effects on gonadal sex differentiation. Triton X-100 has no such effect, and is used as the steroid solvent in the present experiments. Progesterone (300 μg/l) administered for 4 weeks from hatching, or from D 43, significantly affects the sex ratio in favour of females. Methyltestosterone given from hatching results in sterilization of the gonads, especially when the treatment is carried out for 8 weeks, or when a relatively high dose (300 μg/l) is used for 4 weeks. When given from D 43 methyl testosterone has a masculinizing effect. It is concluded that progesterone and androgen(s) are important in inducing the onset of ovarian and testis development, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoological Laboratory, Section Comparative Endocrinology, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    R. van den Hurk & G. A. Slof

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  1. R. van den Hurk
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  2. G. A. Slof
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The authors wish to thank Prof. Dr. P.G.W.J. van Oordt for critically reviewing the manuscript. Thanks are also due to Mr. J. Vos, Mr. A.E. van Kernebeek, Mr. F.A. Schurer and Mr. A.J.F.M. van Heeswijk for technical assistance and to the members of the light optical registration department

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van den Hurk, R., Slof, G.A. A morphological and experimental study of gonadal sex differentiation in the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri . Cell Tissue Res. 218, 487–497 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00210109

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00210109

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