Induced Maturation and Spawning by Sex Pheromones in Female Mudskipper (Boleophthalmus pectinirostris)

1 IntroductionMudskipper ( Boleophthalmus pectinirostris ) inhabits muddy burrow in the intertidal mudflats of the temperature zone, feeding mainly on benthic diatoms and adapting to a wide range of salinity1~3]. Although it is small in size, the mudskipper is delicious, nutritious and has a high market value. Fish farmers in Southeastern Mainland China are eager to culture this species. However, at present the natural resource of the fish has been decreasing or disappearing in some area…

Induced Maturation and Spawning by Sex Pheromones in Female Mudskipper(Boleophthalmus pectinirostris)

Maturation of the 4th phase oocytes of mudskipper is induced in vitro by sex pheromones, the extract of ovary, testis and seminal vesicle, oxytocini and deoxycorticosterone ( DOC ). Maturation rates ofoocytes are related to pheromones and their dosages. The single use of prostaglandin E1(PGE 1) is not effective in the induction of maturation, but the combination of PGE1 with HCG promotes oocyte maturation rates.Maturation is induced by injections of the extract of the ovary at dosages of 0.01 cm3/a fish,seminal vesicle extract at dosages of 0.1 cm3/a fish, testis extract at dosage of 0.1 cm3/a fish, or PGE1 at dosage of 10μ g/fish, respectively. Among them, seminal vesicle extract is the most effective in the induction of maturation. The artificial nests, with the extract of the ovary,testis or seminal vesicle inside, attract more heterosexual mudskippers than homosexual mudskippers to enter. Especially, the extract of seminal vesicle is the most effective in attracting females. Female mudskippers could be induced to spawn by the extracts of ovary,testis and seminal vesicle placed inside both the ceramic and sponge nests. More spawned eggs and higher fertilization rates are observed in the ceramic nests than in the sponge ones.