Nuestro último artículo, aceptado en Aquaculture

Recombinant vs purified mammal gonadotropins as maturation hormonal treatments of European eel males

J.G. Herranz-Jusdado, C. Rozenfeld, M. Morini, L. Pérez, J.F. Asturiano, V. Gallego

Aquaculture, 501: 527-536. 2019

Abstract

In the past three decades the European eel Anguilla anguilla experienced up to 99% decline in recruitment in some parts of its distribution range, thus breeding in captivity is nowadays considered key in order to save this species. With this in mind, obtaining high quality gametes is fundamental, as is the ongoing study of new hormonal treatments in order to improve current methods. Therefore, the aim of this research study was i) to assess the effect of two hormonal treatments (OVI, a recombinant α-choriogonadotropin; and VET, a human chorionic gonadotropin purified from female urine) on the reproductive performance of European eel males, and, after choosing the best hormone, ii) to compare the effects of three doses in order to cut the costs of artificial maturation.

Our results indicated that the type of hormone used (recombinant vs purified gonadotropins) significantly affected the progression of spermiation in European eel males, and that the recombinant hormone (OVI) produced better results in terms of sperm quantity and quality in most of the weeks of the treatment, remaining thus an effective treatment to induce spermiation in this species. On the other hand, in terms of the doses experiment, our results showed that from the lowest to the highest dose (0.25 to 1.5 IU/g fish) all the treatments were able to induce the whole spermiation process. However, a weekly dose of 1.5 IU/g fish of recombinant hormone (OVI) was necessary in order to provide a notable amount (volume and density) of high quality (motility and velocity) samples throughout the treatment.

Finally, the economic analysis demonstrated that the recombinant hormone (OVI, 1.5 IU/g fish) had a greater profitability than the other treatments, making it possible to obtain high-quality sperm for a lower price. In this context, and considering the fact that in the first few weeks of any hormonal treatment there is no high-quality sperm production, long-term hormonal therapies are necessary in order to lessen the cost of high-quality European eel sperm.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2018.12.015

doi: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2018.12.015

Nuestro último artículo, aceptado en Aquaculture

Standardization of sperm motility analysis by using CASA-Mot for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii)

C. Caldeira, S. Hernández, A. Valverde, P. Martin, J.G. Herranz-Jusdado, V. Gallego, J.F. Asturiano, B. Dzyuba, M. Psenicka, C. Soler

Aquaculture 502: 223-231. 2019

Abstract

It is essential to define an optimized standard method to assess the fish sperm quality to minimize the differences between the results obtained by different laboratories. Only this optimization and standardization can make them useful from academia to industry.This study presents the validation of sperm motility assessment using a CASA-Mot system for three endangered diadromous fish species: European eel (Anguilla anguilla), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii). To attain this goal, different technical and data processing methods were tested: 1) magnification lens (x10 and x20), 2) Spermtrack® reusable chambers (10 and 20 μm depth) and 3) different frame rates (50 ≥ FR ≤ 250). The results suggested that the sperm motility assessment for eel, salmon and sturgeon should be performed at 200, 250 and 225 frames s-1, respectively. Moreover, to obtain a high number of analysed spermatozoa in less time and a natural movement of the sperm cells, it is recommended to use x10 objective and 20 μm depth. In conclusion, different technical settings influence sperm kinetic parameters and should be validated for each fish species to allow the comparison of results between laboratories.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2018.12.001
doi: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2018.12.001

Proyecto concedido por la Fundación Biodiversidad

La Fundación Biodiversidad, mediante una de sus ayudas para la realización de actividades en ámbito de la biodiversidad terrestre, biodiversidad marina y litoral y el fomento de la información ambiental, va a financiarnos un proyecto de investigación titulado: Técnicas de reproducción asistida y criopreservación para la conservación de la biodiversidad de elasmobranquios.

Los tiburones y las rayas se encuentran entre los vertebrados marinos más amenazados del planeta, habiendo descendido las poblaciones de ciertas especies hasta límites críticos. La sobrepesca es la principal causa de este descenso, siendo especialmente relevantes las capturas accidentales. Solo en puertos españoles se pescan diariamente miles de estos animales accidentalmente, desechándose como descarte. El presente proyecto pretende afrontar la pérdida de biodiversidad mediante la aplicación de técnicas de reproducción animal, como la criopreservación de gametos y el control de ciclos reproductivos, para lograr la reproducción de elasmobranquios en cautividad.

Las especies objetivo del proyecto son la pintarroja (Scyliorhinus canicula), el alitán (Scyliorhinus stellaris), la bocanegra (Galeus melastomus) y la raya pintada (Raja montagui).