A Comparison of Sperm Health in Declining and Stable Populations of Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis and C.a. bishopi)

Unger, Shem D.; Mathis, Alicia; Wilkinson, Robert F.

doi:10.1674/0003-0031-170.2.382

Cited by 19 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…In other caudate families such as Cryptobranchidae and Salamandridae, cold storage also led to prolonged motility, but for even longer durations than what we observed [10][11][12]17]. In Pleurodeles waltl, sperm stored at 4˚C had a high motility for over 24 hours and remained motile for nearly 120 hours [11].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…In Pleurodeles waltl , sperm stored at 4°C had a high motility for over 24 hours and remained motile for nearly 120 hours [ 11 ]. In comparison, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis [ 17 ] and Andrias davidianus [ 10 , 12 ] sperm held at 0–5°C was reported to maintain high motility up to 3 or more days; whereas when held at room temperature motility was reduced. Thus, our findings for Ambystomatidae are similar to what has been previously reported for two other families within the order Caudata.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…urine or water) at ambient temperatures, prompting development of methods to extend motility and viability, such as cold storage (0-4˚C), aeration or addition of antibiotics [3,5,[13][14][15][16]. Unlike anurans, the time frame for which caudate sperm remains motile has been examined in only a few studies with a wide range of outcomes within families including Ambystomatidae [8,9], Cryptobranchidae [10,12,17] and Salamandridae [11,18]. In Ambystomatidae, the effect of storage temperature on sperm motility has yet to be formally investigated, especially when examined based on collection type, to determine the working timeframe for ART application.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

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Short-term storage of tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) spermatozoa: The effect of collection type, temperature and time

et al. 2021

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The aims of this project were to characterize tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) spermatozoa motility over time, when excreted as either milt or spermic urine prior to packaging into a spermatophore, and to determine the effect of temperature on sperm motility. A split-plot design was utilized to assess the motility of the two pre-spermatophore sample types at two temperatures, 0°C and 20°C (n = 10 for each treatment). Spermiation was induced through exogenous hormone treatment of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analog in order to collect both milt and spermic urine, which were evaluated for motility, divided into two separate aliquots, and subsequently stored in either an ice-bath (0°C) or on the benchtop (20°C). The decay rate of sperm motility was assessed by reevaluating subsamples at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 24 hours following the initial assessment. Results showed that sperm stored at 0°C had significantly higher progressive, non-progressive, and total motility for both sperm collection types over time. An interaction was found between collection type and time, with milt exhibiting lower initial motility that was more sustainable over time, compared to spermic urine. For both milt and spermic urine, motility decreased rapidly with storage duration, indicating samples should be used as soon as possible to maximize motility for in-vitro fertilization and cryopreservation. This is the first study to describe the differences in sperm motility between milt and spermic urine from an internally fertilizing caudate and demonstrates the benefits of near freezing temperatures on sperm longevity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

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Short-term storage of tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) spermatozoa: The effect of collection type, temperature and time

et al. 2021

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“…The purpose of the Eastern hellbender propagation program in Missouri has been to augment existing populations, reduce the risk of extinction, and provide for the recovery and potential delisting of these animals from state‐endangered status (Unger et al. ; Briggler et al. ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Propagation of Eastern Hellbenders Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis in a Recirculating Aquaculture System at Shepherd of the Hills State Fish Hatchery

et al. 2018

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The hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis is an endangered aquatic salamander inhabiting coldwater streams within the Ozark Highlands of Missouri. Over the past few decades, there has been a severe decline in the populations of the two subspecies of hellbender in this region—the Eastern hellbender C. a. alleganiensis and the Ozark hellbender C. a. bishopi—accompanied by little to no recruitment of young age‐classes; projections now call for negative long‐term population growth for both subspecies. Captive propagation is thus considered essential for the long‐term recovery of this species in Missouri, along with addressing the causes for its decline in the wild. Since 2007, Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery has been the primary rearing facility in Missouri for the early life stages of Eastern hellbenders. This facility has focused on hatching fertilized eggs collected from the wild and rearing animals for repatriation into their natal streams. This paper describes the recirculating aquaculture system used to rear Eastern hellbenders, the culture techniques that have been developed, and some of the results.

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“…Refrigeration at 4°C extends the storage life of spermatozoa by lowering metabolic rates, and most amphibian [53,80,81] and fish [82] spermatozoa largely tolerate refrigeration temperatures to above freezing. Anuran spermatozoa has retained moderate motility (10-20%) after refrigerated storage of testis in carcasses for 7 d [83], excised testes for 14 d [80,83], testicular macerates for between 14-21 d [80], spermic urine for 7 d [40], and in the semen of a Cryptobranchid for 4.5 d [48], and in hormonally induced cloacal fluid from a Salamander for 3 d (Supplementary Table 2 [38]).…”

Section: Sperm Processing and Refrigerated Storagementioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm collection and storage for the sustainable management of amphibian biodiversity

et al. 2019

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Current rates of biodiversity loss pose an unprecedented challenge to the conservation community, particularly with amphibians and freshwater fish as the most threatened vertebrates. An increasing number of environmental challenges, including habitat loss, pathogens, and global warming, demand a global response toward the sustainable management of ecosystems and their biodiversity. Conservation Breeding Programs (CBPs) are needed for the sustainable management of amphibian species threatened with extinction. CBPs support species survival while increasing public awareness and political influence. Current CBPs only cater for 10% of the almost 500 amphibian species in need. However, the use of sperm storage to increase efficiency and reliability, along with an increased number of CBPs, offer the potential to significantly reduce species loss. The establishment and refinement of techniques over the last two decades, for the collection and storage of amphibian spermatozoa, gives confidence for their use in CBPs and other biotechnical applications. Cryopreserved spermatozoa has produced breeding pairs of frogs and salamanders and the stage is set for Lifecycle Proof of Concept Programs that use cryopreserved sperm in CBPs along with repopulation, supplementation, and translocation programs. The application of cryopreserved sperm in CBPs, is complimentary to but separate from archival gene banking and general cell and tissue storage. However, where appropriate amphibian sperm banking should be integrated into other global biobanking projects, especially those for fish, and those that include the use of cryopreserved material for genomics and other research. Research over a broader range of amphibian species, and more uniformity in experimental methodology, is needed to inform both theory and application. Genomics is revolutionising our understanding of biological processes and increasingly guiding species conservation through the identification of evolutionary significant units as the conservation focus, and through revealing the intimate relationship between evolutionary history and sperm physiology that ultimately affects the amenability of sperm to refrigerated or frozen storage. In the present review we provide a nascent phylogenetic framework for integration with other research lines to further the potential of amphibian sperm banking.

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A Comparison of Sperm Health in Declining and Stable Populations of Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis and C.a. bishopi)

Cited by 19 publications

References 33 publications

Short-term storage of tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) spermatozoa: The effect of collection type, temperature and time

Short-term storage of tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) spermatozoa: The effect of collection type, temperature and time

Propagation of Eastern Hellbenders Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis in a Recirculating Aquaculture System at Shepherd of the Hills State Fish Hatchery

Sperm collection and storage for the sustainable management of amphibian biodiversity

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