Sex Ratio and Gamete Production in American Oysters Exposed to Tributyltin in the Laboratory

Adults oysters (Crassostrea virginica) were exposed to TBT at concentrations of 0 (control), 50, 100, 500, and 1000 ng/l for 8 weeks, Initially of indeterminate sex, all were sexually mature after 2 weeks at 25°C at all TBT concentrations and remained mature throughout the study. Gametes obtained by stripping were mature and generally fertilizable when crossed with gametes from a reference population. The only effect observed which was attributable to TBT was mortality in the high exposure concentration following a brief elevation in concentration due to a failure of water flow.