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First use of a non-invasive technique for determination of sex hormones in the queen conch Lobatus gigas, Mollusca Gastropoda

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Abstract

Profiles were generated of the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in the marine snail Lobatus gigas every 2 months for 1 year. A non-invasive technique involving feces collection was used. Hormones were extracted from the feces with 80% methanol. After filtering, hormone concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and a UV detector. All three sex hormones were present in L. gigas feces, and their concentrations increased contemporaneously with the conch reproductive period. Males and females showed the highest concentration of testosterone in May (1.8 ± 0.3 and 2.1 ± 0.8 ng/ml, respectively). Both sexes presented a maximum estrogen concentration in May (1.2 ± 0.7 and 1.0 ± 0.3 ng/ml). Progesterone in females remained constant from March to July. Pearson correlation between estrogen and spawning activity were r = 0.66 (p = 0.03) and for testosterone (r = 0.5216) and progesterone (r = 0.437). This study constitutes the first use of this technique in this species. Results show that sex hormones may be controlling this species’ reproductive events, as occurs in other gastropods. The understanding of the L. gigas reproductive process, this is one of several steps that will allow in the future improve aquaculture systems and supporting conservation of wild populations.

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Abbreviations

GnRH:

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone

HPLC:

High-performance liquid chromatography

UV:

Ultraviolet

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Funding

This work was supported by a National Council for Science and Technology project (Ciencia Básica-CONACyT No. 181329), and a scholarship granted to Fabiola Chong Sanchez (Conacyt, Mexico). English translation service by John Lindsay-Edwards was supported by FOMIX Doctorado FOMIX-YUC-2014-C17-247043. Authors acknowledge to the Xel-Ha park for providing the space that allowed the taking of samples to carry out this work.

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  1. Unidad Mérida, Laboratorio de Biología y Cultivo de Moluscos, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Antigua Carretera a Progreso Km. 6, 97310, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

    Fabiola Chong Sánchez, Martha Enriquez Díaz & Dalila Aldana Aranda

  2. Laboratorio de Neurociencias Moleculares e Integrativas, Escuela de Medicina, División Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anahuac Mayab, Carretera Mérida Progreso Km. 15.5 CP, 97310, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

    Eric Murillo Rodríguez

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  1. Fabiola Chong Sánchez
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  4. Dalila Aldana Aranda
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Correspondence to Dalila Aldana Aranda.

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All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Internal Committee for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Cicual) and accordance with the Official Mexican Standard NOM-062-ZOO-1999 and NOM-013-SAG / PESC-2016.

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Chong Sánchez, F., Enriquez Díaz, M., Murillo Rodríguez, E. et al. First use of a non-invasive technique for determination of sex hormones in the queen conch Lobatus gigas, Mollusca Gastropoda. Aquacult Int 27, 437–448 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-018-0336-1

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