Sperm release evoked by electrical stimulation of the fish brain: a functional-anatomical study

Acute brain stimulation experiments were carried out in anesthetized male green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus. Semen discharge was evoked consistently by low level electrical stimulation (100 muA or less) in the following areas: the preoptic region, dorsal hypothalamus, thalamus, midbrain tegmentum and the basolateral midbrain and medulla. Areas which were stimulated repeatedly at 100 muA and were always negative for sperm release included: the telencephalon with the exception of the preoptic region, the optic tectum, the cerebellum, the inferior lobe of the hypothalamus, the nucleus rotundus and the dorsal medulla. Removal of most of the optic tectum and cerebellum failed to block reponses evoked from the preoptic area; however, they were usually eliminated by transecting the rostral spinal cord. Electrical stimulation of an isolated 4 mm segment of spinal cord located at the third vertebral level resulted in sperm release, indicating that adequate mechanisms for semen discharge are present within the upper spinal cord. The results of this study suggest that a sperm release system in the green sunfish extends from the preoptic area to the spinal cord passing through the hypothalamus, midbrain tegmentum and basal midbrain and medulla.