Government scientists are figuring that one out of every five black bass in the American river basins, despite being male, have egg cells that are growing inside of their typical sex organs, and this is a sign of just how widespread the feminizing of fish has become.
These findings are coming from a United States geological survey, in the first comprehensive examination that has been done on intersex fish throughout America, a problem that is said to be linked to birth control pills and a number of other hormone treatments which are seeping into rivers. There have been sporadic reports of fish being feminized for a number of years now.
The agency is looking at past data coming from nine different river basins, covering approximately two thirds worth of the country, and they found that approximately six percent of the 1,500 total male fish had a little bit of female inside of them. They looked at at least 16 different species, and most were not effective.
But the fish that were the most feminized happened to be two of the most desired sporting fish, the large mouth and the small mouth freshwater bass, fish that belong to the black bass fish family. Both of those species were also the ones that were the most examined out of all of the fish subjects, with approximately 500 different black bass having been tallied.
According to Jo Ellen Hinck, a USGS biologist, this is becoming a widespread problem. She is the leading author on this study, which was published in Aquatic Toxicology this month. She said that 44 percent of all of the sites where the black bass per tested had one or more males that had egg cells that were growing inside of them.
There have been past studies that linked this problem to hormones responsible for disrupting the endocrine system, such as the estrogen that comes from medicines indicated for women. While the fish are still capable of reproducing, studies are showing that they simply are not reproducing as well.
Intersex fish problems are also being seen as being a general warning to what is being seen as a much larger problem: The effect that endocrine disruptors have on the entire environment as a whole.
These egg cells that are growing in the gonads of the male fish are only capable of being seen using a microscope once the fish had been dissected. The study has been using data from between 1995 and 2004, which is when the government decided to stop funding the research. It seems that the only river basin that was examined that did not show a problem was the Yukon River Basin in Alaska.
Hinck has said that black bass definitely seem to be a lot more prone to this problem, but researchers are not sure why this is.
Photo Credits: rezsox
Related Posts -
Fishing Report: November 29, 2009 Striped Bass, Crab and Halibut In Berkeley/Emeryville, people are still pulling in their limit of crab. Bass are still biting, and the halibut and bass fishing is slowly improving. But if you're looking for crab, this is the place to be as people have been pulling in their limit...... -
Fishing Report: October 23, 2009 Lake Fishing - At Amador, a 3,000 lb trout plant just went in, some of which were as large as 10 lbs, this past Tuesday. Both boaters and float tubers that are using bait and lures seem to do better in comparison to the trollers. You can probably trigger a...... -
Fishing Report: December 18, 2009 Striped Bass, Crab and Halibut At Berkeley/Emeryville, crabbing has been, by all accounts, pretty terrible, mostly because the crab boats haven't even been able to go out. They've been docked for 5 or 6 days, and unable to even head out because of rough weather. Sturgeon trips are beginning, however....... -
Camanche Lake Camanche Lake is located in: Ione, CA Phone: (209) 763-5121 About the Lake: Camanche Lake is in the heart of California gold country and covers an area of twelve square miles. Although it is known primarily for its bass fishing, in recent years, trout have become more popular. This is...... -
Fishing Report: March 26, 2010 Sturgeon, Bass, Crab and Halibut At both Berkeley/Emeryville and Pillar Point, salmon fishing is just about to start. Sign up now to start on the first Saturday in April. Frank's Tract is a good place for bass fishing right now, especially for those using plastics near the bank. Catches of......
Related Websites -
Nioxin Cleanser for Fine Hair, System 1, Natural Hair, 33.8-Ounce Bottle User Reviews Send this to a friend Nioxin Cleanser for Fine Hair, System 1, Natural Hair, 33.8-Ounce Bottle Manufacturer: Nioxin Customer Rating: List Price: $35.00 Sale Price: $17.90 Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours Free Shipping Available Buy Now Product Description Nioxin Cleanser is a detoxifying cleanser for fine,...... -
Robert Trujillo: Bassist for Metallica Metallica was up to the task of performing at Ozzfest this year, for they commanded the attention of the massive stadium. Robert Trujillo was rocking for over two hours with drummer Lars Ulrich, singer/guitarist James Hetfield and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, all of whom brought forth a power that made...... -
How to Build Antler Chandeliers Making a deer antler chandelier is not a difficult task. Most people assume that furniture constructed from deer antlers is unethical, because they assume that the antler has to be forcefully removed from the dear. The truth is, with the exception of one species of deer, all male deer grow...... - Hey, Protein! I Like It! Ever since I started including protein in my breakfasts, the increased protein amount has been transferring over into my lunch and dinners too. I didn't plan to do this; it just kind of happened. I have protein shakes for breakfast made with a plain, whey protein powder. (It's surprisingly good with the right......
-
Quail Game Bird Guide The quail is a truly interesting little board, and it has become popular for many hunters as a game bird. The numbers of quail have dwindled in recent years because their habitats have changed and the number of predators has increased. Quail are continuing to hold on, though, and when......
- Fish Oil Supplements & Diet Exercise & Fitness
- Vintage Bass Guitar Bass
- Low Growing Shrubs Plants, Seeds & Bulbs Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
- Fish Taxidermy Fishing
- Growing Bromeliads Plants, Seeds & Bulbs Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
Are you planning a vacation to California? Looking for a better way to fish the more than 1000 lakes throughout this state? You'll find everything you need to know inside The Complete Guide to California Fishing! Click here to download the 30 page the 100% FREE eBook "Fishing in California."
If you prefer a real book, this book can be bought as a paperback from LuLu.com for $10.93.
Categories:
News, bass
Tags:
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment