Effects of heavy metals on sex inversion of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lam., 1819 in coastal zone of the Black Sea

Sex inversion in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis under the influence of heavy metals as one of the reasons for the shift in the sex ratio in the mussel population on the Black Sea coastal zone of Crimea were considered in the work. The present study is the first to directly show that heavy metals can cause females of the mussel M. galloprovincialis to change into males during post-spawning development of gonads. The degree of impact of heavy metals on the sex change in mussel females was different and decreased in the following sequence: Cu2+ → Cd2+ → Hg2+ → Pb2+ → Zn2+. Copper ions had the greatest effect, which caused a sex inversion in 54 % of females. The heavy metals Hg2+ and Pb2+ were also quite toxic causing mortality in 13 % and 10 % of individuals, respectively. It is possible to use M. galloprovincialis as a model organism in the study of mechanism of environmental sex reversal in bivalves. •Females of Mytilus galloprovincialis inverse of sex influence of heavy metals (Zn2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Hg2+ Cu2+).•The degree of exposure of HM on sex inversion of mussel females decreased in the following sequence: Cu2+ → Cd2+ → Hg2+ → Pb2+ → Zn2+.•Cu ions had the greatest effect on the death and sex inversion of mussel females.