A simple, cost-effective emitter for controlled release of fish pheromones: development, testing, and application to management of the invasive sea lamprey

Semiochemicals that elicit species-specific attraction or repulsion have proven useful in the management of terrestrial pests and hold considerable promise for control of nuisance aquatic species, particularly invasive fishes. Because aquatic ecosystems are typically large and open, use of a semiochemical to control a spatially dispersed invader will require the development of a cost-effective emitter that is easy to produce, environmentally benign, inexpensive, and controls the release of the semiochemical without altering its structure. We examined the release properties of five polymers, and chose polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the best alternative. In a series of laboratory and field experiments, we examined the response of the invasive sea lamprey to PEG, and to a partial sex pheromone emitted from PEG that has proven effective as a trap bait to capture migrating sea lamprey prior to spawning. Our findings confirm that the sea lamprey does not behaviorally respond to PEG, and that th...能够引发物种专一性吸引或排斥反应的信息化合物（semiochemicals）已被证实可用于陆生害虫治理，且在有害水生生物（尤其是入侵鱼类）防控方面具有巨大应用潜力。由于水生生态系统通常规模庞大且开放，利用信息化合物防控空间分布分散的入侵物种，需要开发一种易于生产、环境友好、价格低廉且性价比优异的释放装置，可在不改变信息化合物分子结构的前提下控制其释放。本研究测试了五种聚合物的释放性能，最终选择聚乙二醇（polyethylene glycol, PEG）作为最优备选材料。在一系列室内与野外实验中，我们探究了入侵性海七鳃鳗对聚乙二醇以及从聚乙二醇中释放的部分性信息素的行为响应；该部分性信息素此前已被证实可作为诱捕诱饵，用于在产卵前捕获洄游的海七鳃鳗。本研究结果证实，海七鳃鳗在行为上不会对聚乙二醇产生响应，且