Publication Abstract

Spermiated sea lamprey release a potent sex pheromone

Spermiated sea lamprey release apotent sex pheromone

R. Bjerselius, W. Li , P.W. Sorensen and A. Scott

Thesea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, is a primitive, jawless fish which has a complexand dramatic life history. After hatching in streams, they spend 5+ years asfilter-feeding larvae before metamorphosing into a parasitic stage which then moves intooceans or lakes to feed. Parasitic lamprey grow rapidly for a year and then enter amigratory phase. Inland migration is dramatic and brief (4-8 weeks), associated withsexual maturation, and culminates in spawning and death. Male sea lamprey build nests inrivers and are later joined by females. French fishermen have been using mature males toattract and trap female sea lamprey for decades, suggesting the existence of a pheromonalcommunication system (Teeter, 1980). A plethora of evidence now suggests that teleost fishuse both free and conjugated steroids to function as sex pheromones. This study pursuesthis possibility by characterizing the olfactory sensitivity of sea lamprey to a varietyof synthetic, crude, and partially purified odorants.

Reference:

R. Bjerselius, W. Li , P.W. Sorensen and A. Scott, 1995. Spermiated sea lamprey release apotent sex pheromone. In: Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on theReproductive Physiology of Fish, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, U.S.A.,2-8 July, 1995 (Goetz, F. W. and Thomas, P., ed.s), 271. Fish Symposium 95, Austin.

R. Bjerselius, W. Li , P.W. Sorensen and A. Scott*

In: Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on the Reproductive Physiology of Fish, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, U.S.A., 2-8 July, 1995 (Goetz, F. W. and Thomas, P., ed.s), 271. Fish Symposium 95, Austin