Clarification of Terms for Other Non-dioecious GMOs I. Introduction Finfish, molluscs and crustaceans exhibit a wide diversity of modes of reproduction. The common mode is dioecy, in which male and female reproductive organs are in separate individuals and each individual is of one sex. Most species currently used in aquaculture are dioecious.
Hermaphroditic organisms possess both male and female reproductive organs.
Reproduction in true parthenogens requires neither the presence of sperm to induce embryogenesis nor incorporation of DNA from a male for reproduction of viable progeny. Considerable variation exists in the specific characteristics of non-dioecious reproduction in fish and shellfish. In order to assess the risks of releases of genetically modified non-dioecious GMOs, knowledge of the specific characteristics of their reproduction is essential. Depending on the parthenogenetic species, males from the same or different species are involved in the reproduction. It is critically important to determine whether or not a particular GMO within such families is hermaphroditic.