Uncovering hermaphroditism in European sardine (Sardina pilchardus)

An intersex specimen of European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) was found in a female-dominated sampling caught off the southern Catalan coast during the winter spawning season. The gonads showed ovarian tissue with developing oocytes in several stages, as well as testicular lobules, filled with spermatogenic cells, that cannot be classified as fully functional. These rare cases of non-functional hermaphroditism may be linked to stressful conditions associated with climate change and pollution.