The efficacy of two synthesized sea lamprey sex pheromone components as a trap lure when placed in direct competition with natural male odors

• Published in: Biological invasions Vol. 13; no. 7; pp. 1589 - 1597
• Main Authors: Luehring, Mark A., Wagner, C. Michael, Li, Weiming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.07.2011; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal reproduction; Baits; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Chemical synthesis; Competition; Developmental Biology; Ecology; Fish; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Invasive fish; Lakes; Life Sciences; Nesting; Odors; Original Paper; Petromyzon marinus; Petromyzontidae; Pheromones; Plant Sciences; Retention; Retention time; Spawning; Great Lakes; North America, Great Lakes; Pest management; Pheromone; Sea lamprey
• ISSN: 1387-3547; 1573-1464
• DOI: 10.1007/s10530-010-9916-3

The female sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ), a devastating invasive fish of the Laurentian Great Lakes, locates potential mates by tracking a sex pheromone emitted by nesting males. We tested whether combinations of two putative components of the sex pheromone, 3-keto-petromyzonol sulfate (3kPZS) and 3-keto-allocholic acid (3kACA), were sufficiently attractive to function as a trap-bait when placed in direct competition with male odors. Ovulating females successfully located point sources of 3kPZS both in the presence and absence of a competing odor emitted by mature males placed upstream. However, 3kPZS was not able to retain females in the vicinity of a trap longer than two minutes, and retention time was reduced by 57% when competing male odors were present. 3kACA failed to elicit a response on its own and did not improve attraction to, or retention near, a source of 3kPZS. Application of an incomplete pheromone in trapping-for-control scenarios will require devices configured to minimize the effort necessary to enter a trap, features to offset the probable decrease in trap retention, and deployment into favorable habitats where competition with spawning males is minimal.