The heterosis estimates for growth and survival traits in sterlet and Siberian sturgeon purebreds and hybrids

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to estimate and compare the growth and survival traits of the hybrids and purebreds produced by crossing the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) (S) and sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) (St) in order to determine the heterosis effect in the F1 generation. We compared the breeding conditions, mean body weight (BW) and cumulative survival in the artificially produced hybrid crosses of sterlet and Siberian sturgeon with respect to their pure parental species in indoor and outdoor aquaculture systems at different developmental stages. Fertilization and hatching rates were found to be significantly higher in S × S purebred compared to St × S hybrid. The highest values of BW were recorded in St × S hybrid (557.54 ± 179.7 g) on 862 days post-hatch (dph) while the highest cumulative survival was recorded in S × S purebred (14.3%). The recorded cumulative survival and mean BW was significantly lower in St × St purebred. The highest positive heterosis was recorded for mean BW of St × S hybrid (51.3% on 862 dph) throughout the sampling points. The studied sturgeon hybrids had higher mean BW compared to St × St purebred under suboptimal rearing conditions. Although there was no clear demonstration of the superiority in performance of reciprocal hybrids over purebreds, the St × S hybrid can be used for achieving better productivity in aquaculture systems. How to cite this article: Shivaramu S, Vuong DT, Havelka M, Lebeda I, Kašpar V, Flajšhans M. The heterosis estimates for growth and survival traits in sterlet and Siberian sturgeon purebreds and hybrids.

Ploidy Levels and Fitness-Related Traits in Purebreds and Hybrids Originating from Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) and Unusual Ploidy Levels of Siberian Sturgeon (A. baerii)

“…The observed heterosis levels in the F1 generation hybrids changed depending on the trait or the time period considered in the present study. However, these levels were quite comparable with other studies dealing with heterosis in sturgeons [ 29 , 30 ]. The perspectives on the influence of hybridization on evolution have changed from time to time.…”

“…Overall, it implies the common speculation of sterility of the hybrid sturgeon with abnormal ploidy can be fallacious and more importantly, the ploidy status and fitness characteristics of the produced F1 generation can be seriously questionable. While the importance of hybridization in the sturgeon breeding has been substantially studied [ 18 , 28 , 29 , 30 ], extensive research has not been conducted yet on the influence of polyploidy in cultured sturgeon. Today, sturgeon farming is a rapidly growing branch of aquaculture for the production of black caviar and boneless meat [ 31 ].…”

The Effect of Cryopreserved Sperm on the Early Development, Survival, and Growth of Intergeneric Sterbel Hybrids (Acipenser ruthenus × Huso huso)

“…The higher survival of pure sterlet species during embryogenesis may be a result of fertilization rate. Similar results were obtained in sterlet crossed with crossed with Siberian sturgeon when the lower fertilization rate was observed in the sterlet × Siberian sturgeon hybrids compared to Siberian sturgeon pure species [17].…”

Fisheries Volume 48 Number 2 February 2023

“…When hybrid offspring are fertile, concerns arise over the potential for increased fi tness of hybridized individuals relative to either parental species (i.e., hybrid vigor; Shivaramu et al 2020 ). Hybrid vigor can lead to rapid displacement and loss of genomic signatures of the native species, ultimately resulting in declines in native populations through genetic swamping.…”