P. Williot, Influence of yolk blackish pigmentation of Siberian sturgeon on reproductive performance and larval survival, AQUACUL INT, 6(6), 1998, pp. 403-410
Within a cohort of farmed Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baeri), some females
produce eggs which show a blackish pigmentation of the ooplasm. An experim
ent was carried out to test whether this characteristic might influence the
reproductive success and larval survival as compared to females having usu
al non-pigmental yolk. There were no differences in either the progress of
germinal vesicle migration or the 50% in vitro maturation time course befor
e hormonal injection. The latency, relative quantity of eggs, fertilization
rate and embryonic survival were similar The pigmentation of yolk signific
antly depressed the second part of embryogenesis. Neither the number of hat
chlings, normal or abnormal, survival after weaning and the mean weight of
14 days post-hatch larvae were different. For the first time, rates of hatc
hing for normal (70%), abnormal (11%) and non-hatched (7%) larvae, referred
to the embryo survival at final stages, are reported with normal appearanc
e eggs.