Gender differences in hemocyte immune parameters of bivalves: The Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata and the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata

Many authors have highlighted a high inter-individual variability in immune parameters of marine bivalves. A high number of studies have reported the impact of external factors on hemocytes immune parameters such as temperature, salinity, pollutants or pathogens. However, only a few of them considered the impact of intrinsic parameters such as sex. Therefore, the present study assessed the impact of gender on hemocytes functions on two marine bivalves. Our results led to the conclusion that the gender contributes to this inter-individual variability. When studying the impact of an environmental variable, a pathogen or a pollutant, the sex of each animal should be determined and taken into account in the analysis and interpretation of immune parameters.

► Hemocyte characteristics were different between gender of two marine bivalves.
► No impact of gender on total and differential hemocytes counts.
► No impact of gender on phagocytosis.
► Intracellular oxidative metabolism higher in males than females for both species.
► Gender contribute to inter-individual variability in hemocytes immune parameters.