In new research, we show for the first time that exposure to an environmentally relevant concentration of a widespread endocrine disrupting agricultural pollutant can alter male reproductive behaviour and morphology in a freshwater fish. This work was led by PhD student Michael Bertram, in collaboration with researchers from Åbo Akademi University in Finland, the University of Melbourne, and the Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management. We report that short-term exposure to a minute concentration (22 parts per trillion) of 17β-trenbolone—an anabolic growth-promoting steroid used extensively in livestock production worldwide—altered mating behaviour in male guppies. Exposed males performed fewer courtship dances (‘sigmoid displays’) and more ‘sneaking’ behaviour (i.e. unsolicited mating behaviour involving the male sneaking up from behind the female to copulate, without first performing courtship). In addition, exposed males gained significantly more mass, which was expected given the anabolic potency of this pollutant.
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