Fertilization strategies for Sea Bass Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758): effects of pre-incubation and duration of egg receptivity in seawater

Abstract

Studying gamete biology can provide important information about a species fertilization strategy as well as their reproductive ecology. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge about how long sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax eggs can remain viable after being activated in seawater. The objectives of this study were to understand the effects of pre-incubation of fresh and overripe sea bass eggs in seawater and to determine the duration of egg receptivity. Pooled eggs (fresh and overripe) from four females were pre-incubated in seawater for 0 min (control), 0.5 min, 1 min, 3 min, 10 min and 30 min and then fertilized by pooled sperm from four males. The fresh eggs had a higher fertilization success than overripe eggs. Our results revealed a significant effect of pre-incubation time for both the fresh (P < 0.01) and overripe eggs (P < 0.01). Fertilization success of eggs significantly declined for both these treatments after 3 min of pre-incubation, which clearly indicates that sea bass eggs are able to be fertilized by sperm for up to 3 min after release into seawater. This study has particular importance for understanding fertilization strategies, reproductive potential, as well as reproductive ecology of sea bass.

Wreckfish (Polyprion americanus). New Knowledge About Reproduction, Larval Husbandry, and Nutrition. Promise as a New Species for Aquaculture

“…These concentrations levels did not differ from earlier data (from 1.5 to 2.71 × 10 10 spermatozoa mL −1 ) from the HCMR broodstock. Finally, the spermatozoa concentration in wreckfish stripped semen was of the same order of magnitude as that of pelagic fish such as European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) or meagre (Argyrosomus regius) [22][23][24] and it was higher than that of sole (Solea solea) and turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) [25,26].…”

Development of an exposure protocol for toxicity test (FEET) for a marine species: the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

“…In a comparative study on fish Accepted manuscript 18 eggs, large differences in morphology and structure were found between pelagic and demersal eggs (Lønning et al 1988). Free-floating pelagic eggs, as in sea bass, are characterized by a thin chorion and a rather fast cleavage (Lønning et al 1988;Siddique et al 2017). Demersal eggs instead have a thicker complex chorion, while the yolk is characterized by a high lipid content, which allows eggs to hatch at a more advanced stage than pelagic eggs (Lønning et al 1988).…”