The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of estradiol valerate in an attempt to feminize the male Astyanax altiparanae. One thousand newly-hatched larvae were randomly distributed in four incubators. During a period of 30 days, estradiol valerate was administered in different dosages (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg of diet); the control group did not receive hormone in the diet. After 161 days of hatching, biometry was performed on 50 fishes per treatment group, and the gonads were

more »

... alyzed. The hormone treatments were effective in feminizing A. altiparanae, achieving 70-76% of the desired sex, while the control treatment had 44% females. The hormone did not affect the growth of fish.