Comparison of different methods of wild vimba bream Vimba vimba (L.) spawning under controlled conditions

Area of Science:

• Aquaculture
• Ichthyology
• Reproductive Biology

Background:

• Wild vimba bream (Vimba vimba) reproduction is crucial for conservation and aquaculture.
• Optimizing controlled reproduction methods is essential for sustainable fish farming and population management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of different reproduction methods for wild vimba bream under controlled conditions.
• To evaluate the impact of various hormonal treatments on spawning success and embryo survival.

Main Methods:

• Three reproduction methods were tested: spontaneous (natural spawning), semi-artificial (hormones and nests), and artificial (hormones and manual stripping).
• Hormonal stimulation included common carp pituitary homogenate (CPH), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and Ovopel (GnRHa and metoclopramide).
• Key metrics assessed were the number of spawning fish, ovulation rates, embryo survival, and spawning effectiveness (Se).

Main Results:

• Spontaneous reproduction yielded the lowest success rates (67% spermiating males, 0% ovulating females).
• Semi-artificial reproduction showed higher ovulation rates (43-71%) compared to artificial methods (26-57%).
• The highest embryo survival to the eyed-egg stage was observed with artificial hCG stimulation (88.2%), while Ovopel resulted in the highest spawning effectiveness in both semi-artificial and artificial groups.

Conclusions:

• Semi-artificial reproduction with hormonal stimulation and nests is the most effective method for wild vimba bream.
• Ovopel demonstrated superior performance in terms of spawning effectiveness across different reproductive strategies.
• Controlled reproduction techniques are vital for enhancing the propagation of wild fish species.