Effects of an endocrine disrupter on courtship and aggressive behaviour ofmale three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus

Bell, AM

Am. Bell, Effects of an endocrine disrupter on courtship and aggressive behaviour ofmale three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, ANIM BEHAV, 62, 2001, pp. 775-780

41

INGLESE

Article

Animal Sciences","Neurosciences & Behavoir

ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR

0003-3472 → ACNP

62

2001

4

775 - 780

ISI

0003-3472(200110)62:<775:EOAEDO>2.0.ZU;2-F

Oestrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals released into the environment ha ve the potential to affect animal behaviour. This study examined the relati onship between plasma levels of gonadal steroids and behaviour and the effe cts of exogenous hormonal perturbation on the behaviour of nesting male thr ee-spined stickleback. Plasma gonadal steroid concentrations were related t o levels of nesting and aggressive behaviours: levels of oestradiol were ne gatively related to courtship behaviours while levels of 11-ketotestosteron e were negatively related to nesting behaviours. The behaviour of male thre e-spined stickleback exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of an endocrine disrupter differed from the behaviour of control males. Contro l males increased their aggressive response to a live male conspecific over time, while males exposed to ethinyl oestradiol decreased their aggressive response. This study offers further evidence that low levels of endocrine- disrupting chemicals in the environment may exert subtle yet important effe cts on animal behaviour. (C) 2001 The Association for the Study of Animal B ehaviour.