Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems最新文献

{"title":"Acoustic and Behavioural Strategies of Dolphins in Relation to Fishing Vessel Traffic in the Southern Gulf of Mexico","authors":"Nataly Morales-Rincon,&nbsp;Eduardo Morteo,&nbsp;Nataly Castelblanco-Martínez,&nbsp;Horacio Pérez-España,&nbsp;Javier Bello-Pineda,&nbsp;Christian A. Delfín-Alfonso,&nbsp;Carmen Bazúa-Durán","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70103","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Behavioural and acoustic plasticity allow cetaceans to exploit a variety of habitats developing strategies to overcome increasingly demanding anthropogenic pressures. Bottlenose dolphins are known to compete with artisanal fishing along the southwestern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, but the extent of marine traffic impacts on the species is unknown. We investigated dolphin behavioural dynamics through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and acoustic recordings in two zones off Alvarado, Veracruz, Mexico, with high (HVP) and low-vessel presence (LVP). Within the HVP zone (at the mouth of a lagoon) known for its greater abundance of prey, dolphins focused their behavioural budget on feeding (mostly individually), with higher emission rates for echolocation trains. Conversely, at the LVP zone (located northwest and southeast of the lagoon mouth), groups were larger and their behavioural repertoire was more varied (dolphins travelled, fed, socialized and rested equally), emitting not only high emission rates for echolocation trains but also for whistles. Our findings suggest that dolphins have developed a zoning strategy through a compensatory mechanism that allows tolerance to a certain level of fishing activities and marine traffic, especially within their feeding areas, by reducing group size to individual interactions, while prioritizing certain surface and acoustic behaviour when in the presence of vessels. By using this trade-off strategy, dolphins may remain at the site and continue taking advantage of the resources, at the expense of potential long-term effects, which remain to be investigated.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143554937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing Japanese Eel Populations in a River System Using eDNA: Seasonal Variation and Modest Effectiveness of Stocking Where Natural Recruitment Is Restricted","authors":"Hiroki Hata,&nbsp;Naoki Yamashita,&nbsp;Mikio Inoue,&nbsp;Shoichiro Yamamoto","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70096","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Japanese eel, <i>Anguilla japonica</i>, is a highly endangered species in the Western Pacific region despite its high commercial value in fisheries. To enhance fisheries resources of this catadromous fish, eel stocking programs are conducted annually in many rivers across Japan. These programs involve capturing naturally recruited glass eels at river mouths, farming them in artificial ponds and releasing them into rivers. However, the impact of these stocking efforts on eel populations remains unclear. Recently, environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as an effective tool for assessing the biomass of target species in aquatic environments. This study aims to evaluate the spatiotemporal changes in Japanese eel population over 3 years and the effect of stocking using species-specific eDNA marker in the Shigenobu River system in western Japan, where numerous sediment-control dams and weirs are present, and eel stocking is conducted both upstream and downstream of these barriers. Our results show that eDNA concentration was significantly correlated with both the density and biomass of captured eels, confirming the effectiveness of eDNA assays for eel stock assessment. eDNA concentrations, as well as captured density and biomass, were higher downstream than upstream. After stocking, eDNA concentrations increased and remained elevated at upstream stocking sites where natural recruitment was blocked by sediment-control dams. Seasonal variation in eDNA concentrations was most pronounced downstream, where natural recruitment occurs. These findings suggest that stocking enhances eel populations in areas where natural recruitment is restricted, but the effect is modest compared to natural recruitment. Therefore, ecosystem-based habitat management, including habitat restoration and connectivity, should be prioritized for eel conservation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143554451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unwedging the Secrets: Species and Genetic Diversity of Wedgefishes (Rhinidae) in Malaysian Waters","authors":"Amy Yee-Hui Then,&nbsp;Kean Chong Lim,&nbsp;Amanda Jhu-Xhin Leung,&nbsp;Oscar Puebla,&nbsp;Martin Helmkampf,&nbsp;Serena Adam","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70095","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The wedgefishes (Rhinidae) stand out as one of the most endangered marine lineages due to the conjunction of shallow coastal habitats, slow growth, low fecundity and high fishing pressure. The Indo-West Pacific region, including Malaysia, is of particular interest as it hosts a large share of the wedgefish diversity. Here, we shed light on the species and genetic diversity of wedgefishes found in Malaysian waters. A total of 85 <i>Rhynchobatus</i> samples were collected at 15 locations over 7 years across Malaysia and were identified using both morphological characters and genetics. We highlight the difficulty in identifying species based on morphological characters alone, and that molecular confirmation was needed for ambiguous specimens. <i>Rhynchobatus australiae</i>, broadly distributed across coastal Malaysia, represented a large fraction of the samples (87%), followed by <i>R. palpebratus</i> (11%) and a single <i>R. springeri</i> individual. The occurrence of <i>R. palpebratus</i> is a new record for this species in Malaysia and indicates a wider distribution than previously thought. Population genetic analysis within <i>R. australiae</i> revealed fine-scale structuring within the Strait of Malacca, notwithstanding the fact that this is a relatively small and shallow waterway that does not obviously hinder the movement of <i>R. australiae</i> along the coast. These results reinforce the importance to manage and protect these species and populations in Malaysian waters.</p>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aqc.70095","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143554450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating Genetic Diversity in Hatchery-Produced Dentex dentex and Sciaena umbra for Restocking in Corsican Waters","authors":"Salomé Ducos,&nbsp;Patrick Berrebi,&nbsp;Bruno Guinand,&nbsp;Mikaël Demolliens,&nbsp;Antoine Aiello,&nbsp;Eric D. H. Durieux","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70056","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Dentex dentex</i> and <i>Sciaena umbra</i> are two coastal fish species inhabiting Mediterranean waters, where they are considered threatened (assessed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List). With increased knowledge of both species reproduction, they are envisioned as potential candidate species for restocking purposes around Corsica. However, such actions require genetic monitoring of juveniles that aimed to be released in order to make sure that restocking could not alter the natural genetic diversity. This study aimed to investigate microsatellite gene diversity of hatchery-reared <i>D. dentex</i> and <i>S. umbra</i> juveniles (8 and 11 microsatellite markers, respectively), compared to wild Corsican populations. In each species, broodstock genetic diversity turned out to be quite representative of wild populations. However, this study highlighted that the effective number of breeders was very small in <i>S. umbra</i> (29% of the broodstock participated in juveniles' production) and was composed of dominant parents (i.e., higher contribution of these parents to juvenile production) in <i>D. dentex</i> (one male and one female produced the majority of the juvenile sample). This led to heterozygote excess in juvenile samples and a significant genetic differentiation between (i) juvenile and wild samples and (ii) juvenile and broodstock samples, in both species. Broodstock individuals used in this study were fished in the wild, which was proven here not be sufficient for maintaining the level of genetic diversity found in natural populations. This study highlighted the idea that husbandry production might induce genetic distortion and therefore that genetic controls on hatchery-produced juveniles are essential for restocking purposes.</p>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aqc.70056","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143530268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coupled Hydrodynamic and Habitat Suitability Models for Reach-Scale Restoration of Wintering Waterbird Habitats in Rivers: A Case Study on Scaly-Sided Merganser","authors":"Wenyi Tang,&nbsp;Jun Zhai","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70102","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Rivers are pivotal ecosystems for migratory waterbirds, with the habitat preferences of piscivorous species heavily influenced by hydrodynamic factors such as water depth and flow velocity. These variables directly impact food availability and the foraging behaviours of waterbirds. While the integration of hydrodynamic and habitat suitability models has been effective in assessing river conditions and guiding restoration efforts, research specific to instream-dependent piscivorous waterbirds at the reach scale is scarce. This research concentrates on the scaly-sided merganser (<i>Mergus squamatus</i>), an endangered species on the IUCN Red List, identifying crucial habitat factors—water depth, flow velocity and human disturbance distance—based on their significance in shaping wintering habitat choices for this bird. Through a coupled hydrodynamic habitat suitability model deployed in a segment of the Xitiaoxi River in southeastern China, the study seeks to create a tailored model for the scaly-sided merganser, assess distribution and landscape features of suitable instream habitats and suggest restoration and management tactics. Results show that despite the dry season revealing suitable areas for water depth (31.1%), flow velocity (16.8%) and human disturbance (80.5%) respectively, the combined suitable habitat only occupies 5.1%, predominantly in shallow regions like riffles and sandbanks. The study proposes strategies to enhance habitat suitability for the scaly-sided merganser, presenting a pragmatic approach for reach-scale river restoration, management and proactive conservation efforts beneficial for waterbirds. The findings are relevant not only for southern rivers in China but also for rivers in other countries that support migratory waterbirds and similar piscivorous waterbird habitats.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143535878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mortality of Marine Turtles Bycaught in Industrial Fisheries Operating Off North-Western Africa","authors":"Luis Cardona,&nbsp;David March,&nbsp;José Carlos Báez,&nbsp;Javier Rey,&nbsp;Ahmed Diame,&nbsp;Salvador García-Barcelona,&nbsp;Francisca Salmerón,&nbsp;Oumar Ba,&nbsp;Lourdes Fernandez-Peralta,&nbsp;Pablo Báez-Linero,&nbsp;Nadito Barbosa,&nbsp;David Macías,&nbsp;Jacob González-Solís","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70099","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70099","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We use data collected by onboard observers to assess the bycatch and immediate mortality of sea turtles in the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) and adjoining areas from 2016 to 2021. First, a dataset including 698 sets by drifting longliners, 6300 tows by trawlers and 1029 sets by purse seiners was used to calculate the catch per unit of effort for each species and fleet. Second, effort data compiled by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and Global Fishing Watch were used to escalate bycatch to the whole fleet. Third, we used post-release mortality rates from the literature to estimate the total number of turtles killed annually and provide a baseline to assess their potential demographic impact. Accordingly, the international fleet of longliners was estimated to cause the annual mortality of 6800 loggerhead turtles <i>Caretta caretta</i> (95% CI: 5825–7628), 740 olive ridley turtles <i>Lepidochelys olivacea</i> (95% CI: 560–926) and smaller numbers of hawksbill <i>Eretmochelys imbricate</i> and green turtles <i>Chelonia mydas</i>. Nothing is known about the post release mortality rate of leatherback turtles, but bycatch was estimated as 3529 leatherback turtles (95% CI: 2463–4889). Regarding bottom trawling, the whole fleet was estimated to case annually the death of 151 green turtles (95% CI: 67–191), 95 loggerhead turtles (95% CI:33–108) and 42 olive ridley turtles (95% CI: 23–87). Finally, purse seiners were estimated to cause negligible mortality to loggerhead and leatherback turtles, the only species bycaught by that fleet. Our study provides comprehensive and precise baseline data on sea turtle bycatch within the three main industrial fishing activities, crucial for understanding the demographic impacts on sea turtle populations. Moreover, it underscores the CCLME as a significant hotspot for marine megafauna bycatch.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143521804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stable Isotope Analysis:A Tool for Certifying Captive or Wild caiman Leather Origin","authors":"Melina S. Simoncini,&nbsp;Thiago S. Marques,&nbsp;Luis A. B. Bassetti,&nbsp;Neliton R. F. Lara,&nbsp;Sofía E. Pierini,&nbsp;Plinio B. Camargo,&nbsp;Luciano M. Verdade,&nbsp;Carlos I. Piña","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70104","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Tools to discriminate products from captive and wild sources will improve wildlife sustainability, and stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen can be potentially useful for this. In this study, we evaluated <i>δ</i>¹⁵N and <i>δ</i>¹³C in <i>Caiman latirostris</i> skins from captive individuals (from Argentina and Brazil), wild individuals (from Argentina), and leathers (from tanned skins) from both captive and wild individuals (from Argentina). In addition, we compared the isotopic signatures of caiman claws from both wild and captive caimans from Brazil. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the possible differences in the variability of <i>δ</i>¹⁵N and <i>δ</i>¹³C between skins, leathers, and claws from wild and captive animals. We found that skins, leathers and claws from the wild individuals had a larger <i>δ</i>¹⁵N and <i>δ</i>¹³C variability compared to samples from captive animals. In addition, tanning did not affect <i>δ</i>¹⁵N and <i>δ</i>¹³C variability. We can thus distinguish skins and leathers from wild and captive animals, which will be useful in governing conservation measures especially in regions where hunting is banned and/or where only farmed individuals can be traded.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143521805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Faecal Pellets of the Endangered Amami Rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi) as an Allochthonous Resource for Benthic Macroinvertebrates in a Forest Stream in Amami-Oshima Island, Japan","authors":"Shinji Takahashi,&nbsp;Shin-ichiro Abe,&nbsp;Yasuhiro Takemon,&nbsp;Kei'ichiro Iguchi","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70098","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70098","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The endangered Amami rabbit (<i>Pentalagus furnessi</i>), endemic to two Japanese subtropical islands, has a habit of egesting faeces on streambanks in their habitats. We hypothesized that rabbit faeces transported into streams are consumed by aquatic animals. Underwater behavioural observations using time-lapse photography showed that decapod crustaceans foraged on rabbit faeces introduced experimentally into a forest stream on Amami-Oshima Island. From in situ samples, stable isotopic analysis showed mean contributions of rabbit faeces to diets of benthic macroinvertebrates ranged from 12% to 66%. This study suggests that rabbit faeces form an allochthonous resource unique to this insular stream ecosystem.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143489952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fish Community Structure and Habitat Complexity in Restored and Natural Eelgrass Meadows","authors":"Julia Castro-Fernández,&nbsp;Jorge Terrados,&nbsp;Hilmar Hinz,&nbsp;Inés Castejón-Silvo,&nbsp;Per-Olav Moksnes,&nbsp;Eduardo Infantes","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70092","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Seagrass meadows serve as nursery and permanent habitat for numerous fish species—an ecosystem function influenced by structural complexity. Rapid seagrass loss over recent decades has promoted restoration efforts aimed at recovering meadows and their ecological functions. This study assesses the restoration of habitat structural complexity and associated fish communities in two replanted eelgrass (<i>Zostera marina</i>) meadows on the west coast of Sweden, planted with a 2-year difference and comparing them to the inner and edge areas of natural meadows and unvegetated sandy areas. Eelgrass habitat structural complexity was assessed from seagrass samples collected to estimate shoot densities, shoot biomass, and canopy height of the meadows. Fish communities were assessed using two methods: diver-operated stereo-video transects, and traditional underwater visual census, testing the efficiency of both techniques. The two assessed methods produced similar results that sampled canopy-associated species well but were less accurate for cryptic bottom-dwelling species inside eelgrass meadows. Results indicated that structural complexity was statistically lower in the 2-year replanted area (Askerön) compared to the reference meadow, but in the 4-year replanted area (Gåsö), no significant differences were observed between the restored and reference meadows. Moreover, no differences were observed between the reference and restored meadows for canopy-associated fish species in Gåsö, indicating that the recovery of the habitat function was already underway. However, results from Askerön were inconclusive. Thus, despite rapid eelgrass growth, the recovery of ecosystem function and of the capacity to provide ecosystem services following seagrass replanting is not always immediate and may be dependent on factors such as time after restoration, environmental factors (e.g., water quality) or landscape configuration (e.g., meadow fragmentation, vicinity to natural meadows). A comprehensive understanding of how fish communities respond to seagrass restoration is necessary to effectively scale the restoration efforts.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143489950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phthalate Exposure Influences Mating Behaviour and Sperm Morphology in an Aquatic Ecotoxicology Model System","authors":"Bryan Lamberto Guevara,&nbsp;Nadia Patel,&nbsp;Yi Tu,&nbsp;Maurine Neiman","doi":"10.1002/aqc.70100","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70100","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more durable, found in applications from cosmetics, lubricating oils, and flooring to soap, shampoo, and hairspray. Phthalates are also now known to be endocrine disruptors with connections to adverse reproductive outcomes in animals, including humans. Here, we evaluate the potential effects of a widely used phthalate ester, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), on male reproduction in a freshwater snail. DMP is found in industrial applications like solid rocket propellant as well as consumer products such as insect repellents and plastics. Although there is some evidence that DMP negatively affects reproduction, especially in females, we still know very little about potential DMP effects on males. We addressed this important knowledge gap by testing the effects of DMP on <i>Potamopyrgus antipodarum</i>, a prosobranch snail native to New Zealand. These snails are very sensitive to water conditions and environmental chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting compounds, and are thus rising in prominence as water-quality sentinels and ecotoxicology models. We exposed experimental groups of male <i>P. antipodarum</i> to one of three different concentrations of DMP and characterized mating behaviour and sperm morphology as a function of DMP exposure. Differences in these traits were primarily observed between the males in the control versus the high (10⁻⁶ M) DMP concentration group. As DMP exposure levels increased, we found that mating frequency ultimately decreased by more than 69% and that sperm morphology was increasingly altered relative to control males. Altogether, study outcomes suggest DMP exposure in male animals could have negative effects on reproduction, with particular relevance in aquatic and marine environments that are especially likely to harbour leached endocrine-disrupting chemicals.</p>","PeriodicalId":55493,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems","volume":"35 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aqc.70100","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143489951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}