Involvement of the neurosteroid 7α-hydroxypregnenolone in the courtship behavior of the male newt Cynops pyrrhogaster

► A neurosteroid, 7α-hydroxypregnenolone, induced courtship behavior in the male newts. ► Spontaneously occurring behavior was abolished by an inhibitor of steroidogenesis. ► Supplementation with 7α-hydroxypregnenolone re-gained the suppressed behavior. ► The action of the neurosteroid was blocked by a dopamine D2-like antagonist. ► The neurosteroid is an important factor for the manifestation of courtship behavior.