Are sex ratios in wild European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) populations biased?

Type Article
Date 2012-01
Language English
Author(s) Vandeputte Marc1, 2, 3, Quillet Edwige1, Chatain Beatrice2
Affiliation(s) 1 : INRA, GABI Genet Anim & Biol Integrat UMR1313, F-78350 Jouy En Josas, France.
2 : IFREMER, INTREPID UMR110, F-34250 Palavas Les Flots, France.
3 : AgroParisTech, GABI UMR1313, F-75231 Paris, France.
Source Aquatic Living Resources (0990-7440) (Edp Sciences S A), 2012-01 , Vol. 25 , N. 1 , P. 77-81
DOI 10.1051/alr/2012002
WOS© Times Cited 19
Keyword(s) Sex ratio, Genetics, Sex determination, Fish aquaculture, Dicentrarchus labrax
Abstract Sex ratios in farmed European sea bass are highly biased towards males (75 to 95%), which is problematic for aquaculture. In this mini-review, we re-analyse fisheries literature data about sex ratios in wild sea bass from 13 population samples, representing altogether 4889 individuals covering the major part of the distribution range of the species. We find that as a whole, the sex ratio of wild populations is biased towards females (59.4% females, p < 0.001), but that the sex ratio of the younger fish (< 30 cm total length) is balanced (52.0% females, p = 0.15), while the sex ratio of the older fish is heavily biased towards females (69.5% females, p < 0.01). Possible causes of these differences (differential longevity, biased sampling) are discussed. When age-group sex ratios are available (three population samples out of 13), significant variation between age groups appears, part of which is most likely of environmental origin. This study shows that the excess of males in culture is not a characteristic of the species, but rather a consequence of the environments used in culture, interacting with a complex system where both environmental and genetic influences govern sex determination in sea bass.
Full Text
File Pages Size Access
Publisher's official version 5 102 KB Open access
Top of the page