Endocrinology and fish culture

Area of Science:

• Aquaculture Endocrinology
• Fish Physiology
• Reproductive Biology

Background:

• Hormone application in fish culture is predominantly for reproductive purposes, including ovulation induction and spermiation stimulation.
• Historical methods like hypophysation have significantly advanced cyprinid fish farming, particularly in Asia and Europe.
• Modern techniques involve human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs (LHRH-A), often with antidopaminergic compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current applications of hormones in aquaculture.
• To discuss the evolving use of sex steroids and growth hormone (GH) in fish farming.
• To highlight the role of endocrinology in improving fish management and domestication.

Main Methods:

• Review of established hormonal treatments for fish reproduction (hypophysation, HCG, LHRH-A).
• Analysis of the application of sex steroids for sex reversal in various fish species.
• Examination of the potential large-scale use of growth hormone (GH) in aquaculture.

Main Results:

• Hormonal treatments have enabled significant progress in the aquaculture of several fish species.
• Sex steroids are widely used for sex reversal, but their application faces increasing restrictions.
• Growth hormone shows promise for enhancing growth and feed conversion efficiency in fish.

Conclusions:

• Endocrinology provides crucial insights into fish physiology, aiding captive management and domestication.
• The trend is towards limiting steroid use in food fish due to regulatory and consumer concerns.
• Future aquaculture practices may increasingly incorporate growth hormone for improved production efficiency.