in vitro fertilization

[coolwaves]

I've seen some interesting methods used to produce stickleback embryos at a lab fish facility I worked at. Although I always saw the enormous potential in using these methods (along with hormonally induced spermiation and ovulation) in the commercial production of marine pelagic spawners (i.e. the majority of commercially important reef fish species), I have yet to hear of any work being done in this area.

Has anyone else?

 

[ctenophors rule]

not with marine ornamentals but i have scene this done with restocking projects.

great idea though...subscribe

hmmmm subscribe... am i missing something been a while since i sub'd and i cant find the button

 

[coolwaves]

not with marine ornamentals but i have scene this done with restocking projects.

great idea though...subscribe

hmmmm subscribe... am i missing something been a while since i sub'd and i cant find the button

what was the restocking project/species?
do you know what materials/methods were employed (any hormones, anesthetics, special media, etc)?
sorry, i'm not sure what you mean by subscribe... to what..?

 

[kyrin01]

subscribe is under the thread tools at the top of the OP's post.

 

[ctenophors rule]

subscribe is under the thread tools at the top of the OP's post.

thanks kyrin

and i cant remember most of the details for the fish with hormones, i think it was in the hoover dam area...

i know their is an electric rod that induces spawning in some species...maybe trout?

 

[coolwaves]

thanks kyrin

and i cant remember most of the details for the fish with hormones, i think it was in the hoover dam area...

i know their is an electric rod that induces spawning in some species...maybe trout?

interesting... i'm not sure how that induces salmonids to spawn, but being as the species i'm interested in are asynchronous pelagic spawners (a markedly different environment and reproductive strategy), it may have no impact (though it certainly may excite them!).

i am considering the use of pituitary gonadotropins (FSH an LH) to induce gametogenesis-- but extracting the eggs and sperm from broodstock and fertilizing in vitro. this would eliminate the need for 1) enormous enclosures to allow for natural spawning behavior and 2) the need to collect the embryos. larvae can subsequently be moved to progressively larger containers where they may be fed appropriate live foods until their placement in grow-out.
this is a procedure i am very familiar with (from my past work at a laboratory zebrafish facility) that works quite well, and seems to be begging for an application in the production of marine ornamentals; i have looked hard but have yet to find an example of this method applied as such-- have i missed something somewhere..?

 

[billsreef]

Martin Moe was strip spawning Angelfish eon's ago with success. At that time, he was catching adults during breeding season in the wild.

I've done strip spawning with wild caught fish myself. It's not hard. The hard part is getting a sufficient number of reproductively mature and spawning ready fish of each sex to strip.

In aquaculture, use of hormones is often used to condition broodstock. If the species being worked with have any strong environmental cues for spawning, those can be employed to help with timing as well.

 

[coolwaves]

Martin Moe was strip spawning Angelfish eon's ago with success. At that time, he was catching adults during breeding season in the wild.

I've done strip spawning with wild caught fish myself. It's not hard. The hard part is getting a sufficient number of reproductively mature and spawning ready fish of each sex to strip.

In aquaculture, use of hormones is often used to condition broodstock. If the species being worked with have any strong environmental cues for spawning, those can be employed to help with timing as well.

bill, thanks for your input
you may be able to answer one of my burning questions-- so, the males (of some species, at least) may express gametes simply by adding pressure? the procedure used in the stickleback lab required that males be destroyed (their testes was removed, chopped up with a razor blade in a petri dish and squirted on to the eggs, also in a dish). what species did you work with? how successful were your efforts?
i wish to bypass to the greatest extent any need for the use of artificial environmental cues-- the ultimate expenditure of labor, space, materials etc. seems prohibitive (as compared to the cost of hormones) in this type of intensive aquaculture (at least in closed systems).

 

[billsreef]

I've mostly stripped Menidia, aka silversides. They are a good bit bigger than sticklebacks, but simple pressure to abdomen does the trick. Though even with their size that pressure is usually enough to kill them. I'd expect the same could have worked with sticklebacks, but perhaps cutting them up is easier at that size. The biggest problem seems we've had is how long to let the eggs and sperm sit together in the petri dish. You don't want to be too fast

 

[coolwaves]

The biggest problem seems we've had is how long to let the eggs and sperm sit together in the petri dish. You don't want to be too fast

could you elaborate a bit on the above statement?
was there a concern about getting the milt wet? i understand that hydrating it can in some cases prematurely activate it (sperm may have an active life of only minutes in vitro).
i have yet to find an account of the strip spawn by moe (still looking though); do you know where i can find it, and do you remember exactly how he obtained milt?
thanks again, bill

 

[billsreef]

You want to let the milt and roe sit together for a couple of minutes, don't be too quick to move the eggs to the hatching vessel.

The account by Moe I first read in his book the Marine Aquarium Handbook IIRC.