Date of Award

2014

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.Sc.

Department

Biological Sciences

Keywords

Biological sciences, Psychology, Etiocholanolone, Movement, Pheromones, Round goby, Steroid

Supervisor

Zielinksi, Barbara S.

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

The round goby ( Neogobius melanostomus ) is an invasive benthic fish species to the Laurentian Great Lakes. Earlier studies have suggested that reproductive male urine containing conjugated 3α-hydroxy-5β-androstane-11,17-dione (11-O-ETIO), including 11-O-ETiO-3-S (a potent odorant to gobies), attracts reproductive females. However attraction to isolated or synthetic 11-O-ETIO-3-S has not been tested. This thesis investigates chemical attraction in the laboratory environment by examining the effect of (1) providing the female with shelter, (2) fractionated conditioned water containing 0.1 nM 11-O-ETIO derivatives on females without a shelter and (3) 1 uM synthetic 11-O-ETIO derivatives in arenas with a shelter. It was found that: shelters are important for studying chemoattraction, isolated derivatives of 11-O-ETIO delivered in the 0.1 nM range were not attractive to females, and some females were attracted to 1 uM synthetic 11-O-ETIO-3-s when a shelter was provided. Further studies are required to establish if the released steroids, including 11-O-ETIO-3-s attract females.

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