Hermaphroditism in Brachidontes pharaonis (Fischer, 1876) (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) from the Alexandria Coast, Egypt

Brachidontes pharaonis (Fischer, 1876) was widely reported to cover completely hard substrates especially rocky shores with higher density in mid-littoral zones forming mytilid beds along Alexandria Coast, Egypt. During our study on the reproductive cycle of this species, one case out of 307 examined specimens was found to be hermaphrodite representing only 0.33% of the total sample. It had a shell length 28.25 mm and was collected during January 2017. The sex ratio of this population is different from 1:1, although this deference was not significant (X2 = 11.118, df = 11, P > 0.05). In this contribution, this case of hermaphroditism in B. pharaonis is described. The histological study showed the presence of male and female gametes in the same follicle and this was the most common situation in both lobes of the mantle. The male zone was showing different stages of spermatogenesis together with the female zones showed different stages of oogenesis with occurrence of young oocytes attached to the follicle wall.