Induced ovulation using LHRHa in anadromous obscure puffer Takifugu obscurus cultured entirely in freshwater

Abstract

Puffer fishes of the order Tetradontidae exist in both anadromous and non-anadromous seawater resident forms. The obscure puffer akifugu obscurus is an anadromous species whose intensive culture in freshwater has developed rapidly in China. To mass produce larvae for intensive culture, induction of ovulation of 3-year-old obscure puffer cultured entirely in freshwater was attempted by giving the fish multiple injections of LHRHa. Twenty 3-yearold cultured obscure puffers were treated with multiple injections of LHRHa at a constant dosage of 30 μg of LHRHa kg-1 of body weight with 36 h interval between injections. Beginning two days after hormonal treatment, abdominal palpation was performed every day to check expansion and hardening of the abdomen of the fish due to hydration of oocytes that indicates the completion of final oocyte maturation. The first four fish ovulated after the second LHRHa injection on day 3, but most females ovulated after the fourth hormone injection. A total of 18 fish (90%) ovulated over a period of 7 days, while no fish ovulated in the control group. The mean fertilization rate and the mean hatch rate was 67.1% and 87.6%, respectively. The viability of newly hatched larvae was very good, with a high survival rate of 98.6% 24 h post-hatch. These results indicate that cultured obscure puffer, which are not allowed to undergo diadromous migration and are entirely cultured in freshwater, could be induced to complete maturation and ovulate by simple multiple injections of LHRHa and that the eggs could be successfully hatched into viable larvae.