Spawning induction for Latin American fishes

Abstract

Aquaculture offers solutions to meet the growing global demand for fish, and reportsfrom the UN-FAO indicate that aquaculture production in Latin America (LA) hasgrown at rates above the world average in recent years. One of the major constraintsin the diversification of LA aquaculture is the control of reproduction in several popularnative fish species for which difficulties in captive propagation have not yet beensufficiently overcome. This article reviews the use of hormone treatments to promotereproduction in females of these native fish species. LA has played a key role in thehistory of development of hormone administration, including the first hormonallyinduced spawning. That contribution is included in a historical overview of the discoveryof the major hormones used in fish culture. The review provides a summary ofdifficulties to propagate females of various native fishes and the effects of administeringhormones to enhance reproduction. Induced spawning of certain freshwaterspecies was mainly achieved with pituitary extracts or human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG), although gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa) treatments arebeing researched, and successful studies suggest that low doses may be more effective.Research on new and emerging aquaculture species has applied both gonadotropins(Gths) and GnRHa-based treatments, and GnRHa treatments have shownpotential for marine species. However, native marine species new to aquaculture have also been conditioned to spawn spontaneously without hormones. Finally, weproposed future lines of research to examine reproductive strategies and GnRHabasedhormone treatments to improve reproductive control for economically importantfish species of LA.