Among fish that migrate between the sea and rivers,
those that go upstream to spawn are called anadromous migratory fish. Salmonids
(Genus Oncorhynchus: hereafter referred to as “salmons”), which are
representative of this group, are single spawners with a life history in which
most species, with the exception of a few species, die after spawning in the
river. During their foraging migration in the ocean, both sexes look similar,
but when they return to rivers and mature, they show completely different
external morphologies. These are
called secondary sexual characteristics, and many of them are thought to be
used for fighting between males and appealing to females. Previous
studies have also shown that 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), one of the major male
sex hormones (androgens) in bony fishes, is involved in the development of
secondary sexual characteristics.