Use of an ultrasound device to determine sex and to perform gonad biopsy in the European eel Anguilla Anguilla

The European eel Anguilla anguilla is a highly important market species which is also increasingly in danger of extinction in Europe. One of the ways of protecting the species in the natural environment, while maintaining its market supply, is its aquaculture, e.g. due to much higher survival rate u...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research and Animal Science
Main Authors: Dariusz Kucharczyk, Daniel Żarski, Sławomir Krejszeff, Joanna Nowosad, Maria Biłas, Katarzyna Targonska, Katarzyna Palinska-Zarska
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Portuguese
Published: Universidade de São Paulo 2016
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1678-4456.v53i2p199-206
https://doaj.org/article/baaee371ae1c40e2911a2ff8dc7450f1
Description
Summary:The European eel Anguilla anguilla is a highly important market species which is also increasingly in danger of extinction in Europe. One of the ways of protecting the species in the natural environment, while maintaining its market supply, is its aquaculture, e.g. due to much higher survival rate under controlled conditions than in the wild. However, this can be done only when an effective artificial reproduction biotechnique is developed. The aim of this study was to use an ultrasound device to determine the sex and to perform a biopsy of the gonads, which is a part of complete protocol of eel artificial reproduction. The findings indicate that ultrasonography is highly useful in determining the sex in migrating eel (100% of sureness) and in performing high-precision biopsy of the gonads. The present method gives the possibility to quick determine the maturity of the female gonads. The application of ultrasonography (USG) is totally safe for fish and a portable ultrasound device can be used in both the laboratory and in the field.