European Ocean Biodiversity Information System

[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Intersex and sterility in the periwinkle Littorina littorea (Mollusca: Gastropoda) along the Western Scheldt estuary, the Netherlands
De Wolf, H.; De Coen, W.M.; Backeljau, T.; Blust, R. (2001). Intersex and sterility in the periwinkle Littorina littorea (Mollusca: Gastropoda) along the Western Scheldt estuary, the Netherlands. Mar. Environ. Res. 52(3): 249-255. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0141-1136(01)00097-6
In: Marine Environmental Research. Applied Science Publishers: Barking. ISSN 0141-1136; e-ISSN 1879-0291
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Open Marine Archive 98639 [ download pdf ]

Keywords
    Imposex
    Sterility
    Littorina littorea (Linnaeus, 1758) [WoRMS]; Littorina littorea (Linnaeus, 1758) [WoRMS]
    ANE, Netherlands, Westerschelde [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    intersex; Littorina littorea; TBT; Western Scheldt estuary

Authors  Top 
  • De Wolf, H.
  • De Coen, W.M.
  • Backeljau, T.
  • Blust, R.

Abstract
    In this study we present the results of an intersex survey of Littorina littorea along the heavily polluted Western Scheldt estuary (the Netherlands), and record for the first time the intersex phenomenon in L. littorea from Dutch waters. Intersex differed significantly between localities and was the highest in the vicinity of the harbours of Antwerp and Vlissingen, as reflected by the ISI distribution along the estuary. In contrast, sterility did not differ significantly between the different sites, but nonetheless, followed the ISI distribution as well, ranging from 0 to 33%. Despite the current ISI levels are high (maximum=1.26), they are still much lower than the ISI levels reported for L. littorea in some German harbour areas.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors