An investigation of the regulation of reproductive development in pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbusha) in relation to the initiation of an off-year pink salmon run ...

• Main Author: MacKinnon, Colin N.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2010
• Subjects: Oncorhynchus gorbuscha; Pink salmon
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0094038; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0094038

This study was undertaken to determine whether gonads of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) could be stimulated by pelleted or injected salmon gonadotropin to reproductive maturity one year earlier than normal. This procedure, if successful, might be used in attempting to populate an "off" year cycle of pink salmon. In juvenile male pink salmon complete maturity was attained by September in the year of hatching with both pellet implantation (1x/3 weeks) and injection (thrice weekly) of 1.0 micrograms of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) gonadotropin per gram body weight. Time of onset of mitotic division of spermatogonia and rate of spermatogenesis were accelerated in the precociously mature testes. Similar doses of salmon gonadotropin injected at longer time intervals (1x/week, and 1x/2 weeks) resulted in a slower maturation. In females, acceleration of maturation was achieved in immature pink salmon by injection and pellet implantation of salmon gonadotropin. The primary yolk vesicle stage was ...