Masculinization of molly fish (Poecilia Sphenops) treated with gokshura (Tribulus terrestris)

Production of single-sex populations of fish is important in the fisheries industry. The aim of the present study was to use gokshura (Tribulus terrestris) as herbal androgen-like for masculinization molly fish (Poecilia sphenops) as one of the most important ornamental fish. For this purpose, female brood stocks of molly fish with embryos were fed with foods that contain 2 and 4% of diet weight of hydroalcoholic extracts of gokshura. The two groups of food include control (basic diet) and fed with methyl testosterone were also considered as controls. New born larval were collected in different treatments during the ninth to eleventh days. They were kept until about two months of age that were able to sex differentiate. The observed sex ratios were analyzed by chi-square test. The results showed that only two treatments including methyl testosterone and gokshura at 4% were able to sex reversal of molly fish to male sex. This research for the first time showed the effectiveness of the orally administration of gokshura for single-sex population production of livebearers fish.