Gondal abnormalities in Nile Perch (Lates niloticus)

In collaboration with Dr. Colette St Mary (University of Florida), Dr. Lauren Chapman (McGill University), and Winnie Nkalubo (Makerere University of Uganda and National Fisheries Resources Research Institute of Uganda) I am evaluating the gonadal morphology of Nile Perch, an extremely important African fishery, from Lake Victoria.  Preliminary results suggest that Nile perch are suffering gonadal abnormalities that are consistent with endocrine disruption.  Although a closely related taxa changes sex naturally our specimens do not exhibit morphology that resembles natural sex change and the size distribution of the intersex animals also does not support the hypothesis that the gonadal morphology we find is normal.  Given the potential impact of this finding for the health of the fishery and the importance of the fishery for the local people we are expanding this study to include additional lakes (Lakes Nabugabo and potentially Albert) and are planning to write a proposal for funding to investigate this phenomenon in more detail.

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