Imposex in Two Muricid Species (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the Northeastern Brazilian Coast

Authors

  • Ítalo Braga Castro Divisão de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto de Ciências Marinha (LABOMAR), Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil ; Fundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
  • A. F. Alves de Lima Fundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
  • A. R. C. Braga Divisão de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto, Instituto de Ciências do Mar (LABOMAR), Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
  • C. A. Rocha-Barreira Divisão de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto, Instituto de Ciências do Mar (LABOMAR), Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5132/jbse.2007.01.012

Keywords:

Gastropoda, harbor, imposex, muricidae, organotin compounds, Stramonita haemastoma, Stramonita rustica

Abstract

Imposex is the occurrence of male sexual features in female prosobranch mollusks exposed to organotin compounds. Since imposex has measurable characteristics, it has been used as a bioindication tool for the presence of this kind of pollutants. Thus, this work aimed to monitor organotin pollution over areas under the influence of ten main harbors of North-eastern Brazilian coast. Imposex intensity was measured using the indexes VDSI, RPSI, RPLI and the percentage of imposexed females. At least one sampling site in each studied harbor showed imposex, suggesting a widespread contamination by organotin compounds. However, the observed imposex levels are lower than those obtained by other monitoring works in highly industrialized regions of Europe and Asia, confirming that organotin contamination levels are higher in the most industrialized regions of the world. Approximately 39% of all sampling sites (32 sites) did not show imposexed females, suggesting that this feature does not occur naturally in Stramonita haemastoma and Stramonita rustica.

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Published

10-03-2007

How to Cite

Castro, Ítalo B., Lima, A. F. A. de, Braga, A. R. C., & Rocha-Barreira, C. A. (2007). Imposex in Two Muricid Species (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the Northeastern Brazilian Coast. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Contamination, 2(1), 81–91. https://doi.org/10.5132/jbse.2007.01.012

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2007)

Section

Original Articles

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Copyright (c) 2007 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Contamination

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