Publication

2005

English

http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2005/publication-378.pdf (0.54 Mo)

2004 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Menu Bruno¹, Peruzzi Stefano^{1, 2}, Vergnet Alain¹, Vidal Marie-Odile¹, Chatain Beatrice¹

1 : IFREMER, Lab Rech Piscicole Mediterranee, F-34250 Palavas Les Flots, France.
2 : Univ Tromso, Norwegian Coll Fishery Sci, N-9001 Tromso, Norway.

Aquaculture Research (1355-557X) (Blackwell science), 2005 , Vol. 36 , N. 1 , P. 41-44

Aquaculture

Histology, Squash, Juvenile, Gonads, Seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax

The objective of this study was to develop a rapid and effective method of sexing juvenile sea bass with minimum labour and material. To this end, the gonad squash mount technique was applied along with macroscopic techniques for sexing a large number of experimental fish at the age of 215-275 days post fertilization (p.f.). At this age, 90% of the 3894 fish could be unambiguously sexed by macroscopic examination of their gonads, whereas the remaining proportion was identified using squash mount preparations (10%). The accuracy of the observations was measured up to classical histology procedures. Undifferentiated fish accounted for 0.1% of the total population only. The application of the squash mount technique holds out the prospect of considerable improvement in the efficiency and rapidity of current sexing techniques in sea bass.