Physiological changes in the spawning gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata, succeeding the removal of males

Abstract

The physiological effects triggered in females by the removal of males from a group of spawning fish were examined in the multiple batch spawner, the gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata. One week after the removal of males, a large portion of the oocytes underwent atresia, and sporadic release of low quality eggs continued at low frequency over a period of seven weeks. The transcript levels of the three native gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) forms, salmon (s)GnRH, seabream (sb)GnRH, and chicken (c)GnRH-II, and the two βGtH subunits were measured. Brain mRNA levels for all three GnRHs and pituitary βLH mRNA levels significantly declined in the females as a result of removing the males compared to females that were maintained with males. Pituitary βFSH mRNA levels showed the opposite trend and were significantly higher in females that were separated from males. Circulating levels of LH, testosterone, estradiol, 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one, and 17α,20β,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one all declined in the group of females without males. These results imply the existence of an endocrine response to socio-sexual stimuli during the reproductive process in the gilthead seabream. J. Exp. Zool. 292:555–564, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.