Cryopreservation of pike perch sperm in hatchery conditions

Abstract

Experiments were carried out on pike perch (Sander lucioperca L.) to find a method for stripping sperm without contamination by urine, to determine sperm concentration, and to fertilize large batches of eggs with cryopreserved sperm. Induced spawning technology for pike perch, an important predator fish species in Hungarian and central-eastern European pond aquaculture, has been developed only recently. Sperm cryopreservation can be an important tool for several reasons including the simplification of hatchery work and long-term preservation of genomes of males with high genetic value. In the present study, sperm was stripped without urine contamination, improving sperm quality, and large amounts of eggs were fertilized using 0.25 ml sperm, resulting in hatching percentages of 55±3% for 30-g batches of eggs and 87% for a 50-g batch.