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Updated: May 22, 2026
Basic Methods for the Study of Reproductive Ecology of Fish in Aquaria
Published on: July 20, 2017
Does proximity to aquatic pollution affect reproductive traits in a wild-caught intertidal fish?
N M Sopinka1, J L Fitzpatrick, J E Taves
1Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1 Canada. sopinkn@interchange.ubc.ca
Abstract:
How chronic exposure to aquatic pollution affects reproductive traits was assessed in nesting wild-caught plainfin midshipman Porichthys notatus in areas with low and high contaminant exposure on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Males in high-exposure areas had a greater degree of testicular asymmetry, sperm with shorter heads and fewer live eggs in their nests. The results of this study provide important insights into the potential consequences of contaminant exposure on the reproductive physiology of wild-caught fishes.
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