Contaminant Effects on Ovarian Development in English Sole (Parophrys vetulus) from Puget Sound, Washington

In a study evaluating the effects of exposure to xenobiotic compounds on ovarian development in English sole (Parophrys vetulus), prespawning females were sampled from four sites in Puget Sound, Washington, during the 1986 and 1987 spawning seasons. Two sampling sites had high concentrations of xenobiotic compounds in the sediment, while the other sites were less contaminated. The following factors associated with ovarian maturation were measured: ovarian developmental stage, ovarian atresia, gonadosomatic index, plasma estradiol, and plasma vitellogenin as estimated from alkali-labile phosphorus. Contaminant exposure was assessed by measuring concentrations of fluorescent aromatic compounds in the bile, hepatic aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity, and hepatic polychlorinated biphenyl levels, and liver tissue was examined histologically for the presence of suspected toxicopathic lesions. Female English sole from the heavily contaminated sites were significantly less likely to undergo gonadal recrudescence and had lower mean levels of plasma estradiol than females from the less contaminated sites. The risk of inhibited gonadal recrudescence was significantly increased in sole with elevated hepatic AHH activity, and AHH activity was also significantly negatively correlated with plasma estradiol level. These findings suggest that contaminant exposure may interfere with ovarian development in female English sole.