Z. Wang, L.W. Crim
Abstract:
The ocean pout, Macrozoarces americanus, is a North West Atlantic ground fish positive cold water aquaculture potential. In this species, eggs are fertilized internally, a rare reproductive strategy in teleosts. To investigate the correlation between ocean pout sperm motility and egg fertilization rate, we studied sperm of different motility (percentage of motile sperm) and egg fertilizing capacity. During the spawning season in August, fresh eggs stripped from the ovulated female were mixed with milt at different sperm motility for a duration of five hours. Following the initial incubation period, the eggs
were transferred into the incubators supplied with flowing ambient seawater. Egg fertilization rates were determined under the binocular microscope at day four or five. Four trials were conducted of different times when the females ovulated. The results show that egg fertilizing capacity of high motility sperm (motile sperm >/= 75%) significantly exceeds that of low motility sperm (motile sperm </= 25%) (p<0.0001). This study suggests that sperm quality is important and can be assessed by sperm motility in ocean pout.
(Ocean Sciences Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF A1 C 5S7, Canada)