The deformity 'imposex', which is the growth of a penis and/or vas def
erens in females of dioecious gastropods, has been associated with the
use of tributyltin based marine antifouling paints. We report on a su
rvey of Lepsiella vinosa in Southern Australia which detected imposex
at 14 of 20 sites sampled. Laboratory experiments suggested that altho
ugh tributyltin is important in the development of imposex, other fact
ors including copper, paint matrix and environmental stress may also i
nduce this deformity.