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Toxins 2009, 1(1), 14-24; doi:10.3390/toxins1010014

Article

Intersex Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) from a Contaminated River in Taiwan: A Case Study

Peter Lin Sun ^1,*  and Shinn-Shoung Tsai ²

¹ Department of Aquaculture, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Nei Pu, Pingtung, 91207, Taiwan ² Department of Veterinary Medicine and Southern Taiwan Aquatic Animal Disease Diagnostic Center, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Nei Pu, Pingtung, 91207, Taiwan

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 24 July 2009; in revised form: 7 August 2009 / Accepted: 11 August 2009 / Published: 13 August 2009

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Abstract: River pollution in Taiwan is rather serious, but so far there have been no reports of fish intersex problems. This report reveals that 50% male tilapia in the Era-Jiin River of southern Taiwan were found to be feminized in an October 8, 1994 collection from station EJ-2 of this river. After discounting all other possible causative factors, and correlating with endocrine disrupting chemicals found in this river, we suggest that there is a great possibility that the occurrence of intersex tilapia was caused by these chemicals. The above finding suggests that greater attention needs to be given to endocrine disrupting chemicals problems.

Keywords: tilapia; morphological deformity; biomarker; indicator; river pollution; endocrine disrupting chemicals; intersex

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