Endocrine disrupting effects on the nesting behaviour of male three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus L.

Abstract

The analysis of patterns of temporal variability in the nesting behaviour of male three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus exposed to the synthetic oestrogen, 17β-ethinylestradiol, revealed immediate, but transient, treatment-related effects. Glueing frequency and time spent near nest were significantly reduced in exposed fish at the beginning of the experiment. The expression of these behaviours subsequently recovered and there was no effect of treatment on nest building success. © 2006 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.