Sillett, K.B. & R.S. Stemberger. (1998). Masculinized females in a population of Leptodiaptomus minutus (Copepoda, Calanoida). Canadian Journal of Zoology. 76(3):596-600. (iii.1998).

104705

10.1139/z97-010 [view]

Sillett, K.B. & R.S. Stemberger

1998

76(3):596-600. (iii.1998)

Publication

Available for editors  

In a population of the common freshwater copepod Leptodiaptomus minutus Lilljeborg, 7.3% of adult females exhibited male secondary sexual characteristics. Although these masculinized or intersex females had the internal morphology of normal females, they possessed one or rarely two normal geniculate male antennules, and in a few instances male fifth legs. The sex ratio of normal adult males to females in the population was 1:1. No differences in body size among normal males, normal females, and masculinized females were found. Antennule lengths of males and masculinized females were not significantly different from one another; however, normal females had longer antennules than either males or masculinized females. Mating experiments indicated that masculinized females were functionally female and they were able to mate with normal males to produce offspring that were normal or masculinized. The occurrence of intersex copepods in lakes of North America may be more widespread than we now recognize because they can be easily overlooked or mistaken for normal adults.

RIS (EndNote, Reference Manager, ProCite, RefWorks)
BibTex (BibDesk, LaTeX)

[Back to search]