Hypothalamic arginine vasotocin mRNA abundance variation across sexes and with sex change in a coral reef fish

Gonadal hormones are important mediators of sexual and aggressive behavior in vertebrates. Recent evidence suggests that the peptide hormones arginine vasotocin (AVT) and its mammalian homologue arginine vasopressin (AVP) oft en critically mediate these gonadal hormone effects on behavior and have di rect influences on behavioral variation. Behavioral differences between sex es, across reproductive states, and even among closely related species are correlated with differences in central AVT/AVP systems in many species. We report differences in hypothalamic AVT mRNA levels between distinct alterna te male phenotypes and with female-to-male sex change in the bluehead wrass e (Thalassoma bifasciatum), a teleost fish. The aggressively dominant and s trongly courting male phenotype has greater numbers of AVT mRNA producing c ells in the magnocellular preoptic area of the hypothalamus than females. L evels of AVT mRNA within these cells in dominant males are also approximate ly three times female levels whereas the non-aggressive male phenotype has AVT mRNA levels approximately twice female levels. Behavioral sex change is very rapid in this species and is not dependent on the presence of gonads. Conversely, rapid increases in sexual and aggressive behavior during sex c hange are closely paralleled by approximate fourfold increases in hypothala mic AVT-mRNA levels. The behavioral plasticity shown by bluehead wrasses in response to social environment might be mediated in part by a neuropeptide , AVT, with changes in the gonads and gonadal hormones as the result rather than the cause of behavioral dominance. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, B asel.