Marc, Adrien F., Guppy, Jarrod L., Goldsbury, Julie, Rudd, Donna, Cate, Holly S., Paris, Damien B.B.P., and Jerry, Dean R. (2024) Characterization of sperm quality in captive-bred barramundi (Lates calcarifer): Effect on spawning performance and paternal contribution in mass-spawning events. Aquaculture, 585. 740717.

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Abstract

Barramundi (Asian sea bass, Lates calcarifer) is a species with a mass-spawning reproductive strategy whereby adults synchronously release their gametes into the water column. In captivity, this reproductive strategy usually results in uneven paternal contributions to each cohort of progeny, creating skews in family size that hinder the effectiveness of selective breeding programs. As sperm quality influences fertilization success and early larval development, we investigated the relationship between sperm quality and spawning performance. Accordingly, we assessed three established breeding cohorts. Sperm samples (n = 22) were collected by cannulation. Sperm motility was assessed using CASA, and sperm viability and DNA integrity were evaluated using dual-fluorescence stains by flow cytometry. Broodstock were induced to spawn across two consecutive nights, and offspring were collected at 2.5 h and 12 h post-fertilization (hpf) and 24 h and 48 h post-hatching (hph). Offspring were assessed for morphological abnormalities, and key morphological parameters were recorded. Offspring collected at 2.5 hpf and 24 hph were genotyped to determine their parentage and examine the relationship between sperm quality of individual males and offspring survival. Results highlighted that male condition factor (K) and sperm quality were highly variable within each breeding cohort. Males with a lower condition factor showed lower sperm motility and velocity. In contrast, males with a higher condition factor showed higher sperm motility and velocity but also higher levels of sperm DNA damage. While all males were capable of fertilization, males with a lower condition factor had greater paternal contribution. In this study, a reduction in skewed paternity was also found on Night 2 of spawning compared to Night 1. Moreover, males from Tank B, which had the lowest level of sperm DNA damage, had the most even paternal contribution. Conversely, highly skewed maternal contributions were reported across all spawning events. The results of this study suggest that additional complex dynamics and further unmeasured variables, such as spawning behavior, social hierarchy, and the spawning induction procedure, may also skew family sizes. Therefore, further development of artificial reproductive technology is recommended to gain greater control over individual contribution and overcome current breeding bottlenecks.

Item ID:	82429
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1873-5622
Keywords:	Computer-assisted sperm analysis; Fertility; Fish; Flow cytometry; Parentage analysis; Sperm quality
Copyright Information:	© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Date Deposited:	25 Mar 2024 23:43
FoR Codes:	30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3005 Fisheries sciences > 300501 Aquaculture @ 100%
SEO Codes:	10 ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 1002 Fisheries - aquaculture > 100202 Aquaculture fin fish (excl. tuna) @ 100%
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