Interpretation of sexual secondary characteristics (SSCs) in regulatory testing for endocrine activity in fish

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 240; p. 124943
• Main Authors: Wheeler, James R., Segner, Helmut, Weltje, Lennart, Hutchinson, Thomas H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2020
• Subjects: Animals; color; Cyprinidae - physiology; Danio rerio; Disruption; Endocrine; Endocrine Disruptors - toxicity; Female; females; Fish; Gasterosteus aculeatus; hormonal regulation; laboratory experimentation; Male; males; mating competitiveness; mechanism of action; Oryzias latipes; ovipositor; Pimephales promelas; risk assessment; Secondary sexual characters; Sexual Development - physiology; sexual selection; Smegmamorpha - physiology; Vitellogenins; Secondary sexual characters; Fish; Endocrine; Disruption

Secondary sexual characteristics (SSCs) are important features that have evolved in many fish species because of inter-individual competition for mates. SSCs are crucial not only for sexual selection, but also for other components of the reproductive process and parental care. Externally, they are e...