Transport and
cryopreservation of sperm of the common snook, Centropomus undecimalis
(Bloch)
T.R.
Tiersch, W.R. Wayman, D.P. Skapura, C.L. Neidig, H.J. Grier-2004
Aquaculture
Research, 35(3):
278-288
Abstract:
Sperm were collected in Florida from wild common
snook, Centropomus undecimalis (Bloch), and were shipped to Louisiana
State University for analysis and cryopreservation. Threshold activation of
sperm (10% motility) occurred at 370 mOsmol kg-1, and
complete activation occurred at 680 mOsmol kg-1. These
values were significantly different. Sperm samples stored at 1°C in Hanks'
balanced salt solution (HBSS) or in 0.6% NaCl solution at 200 mOsmol kg-1
retained motility for as long as 22 days. Mean motility remained above 50%
for 9 days for sperm stored in HBSS and for 7 days for sperm stored in NaCl
solution. Sperm exposed to 5% dimethyl acetamide (62±10%; mean±SD), 10%
dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) (39±16%), 5% glycerol (26±5%) or 10% glycerol
(6±2%) for 30 min had significantly lower motility than did unexposed
sperm (89±9%). When used as a cryoprotectant, samples frozen with 5% or 10%
DMSO or 5% methanol had significantly higher post-thaw motility than did
samples frozen with other cryoprotectants. Sperm cryopreserved with 10% DMSO
(38±12%) had significantly higher post-thaw motility than did sperm
cryopreserved with 15% DMSO (19±10%) or 20% DMSO (4±4%). There were no
significant differences in hatch rates of eggs fertilized with fresh sperm
(54±29%) or cryopreserved sperm (41±35%). Survival to first feeding was
not different between fish produced with fresh sperm (37±30%; range, 0-86%)
or with thawed sperm (24±29%; 0-77%). Transport of sperm to a
cryopreservation laboratory and back to a hatchery for thawing and use
enabled collaboration between groups with specific expertise and provides a
model for the application of cryopreservation by transport of fresh and
frozen samples.
(Aquaculture Research Station, Louisiana Agricultural
Experimental Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, 2410
Ben Hur Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70820, USA. E-mail: ttiersch@agctr.lsu.edu)