3.

2 Role of gamete storage in aquaculture and conservation

3.2.1 Short term storage
The need to store gametes for short periods depends on several factors : the country in which
the hatchery is located, the size and type of aquacultural or conservational operation, the management
of broodstock, methods of seed production and the principal purpose and markets for the seed. All
these factors can influence gamete management and the need to preserve gametes.
Asynchrony in spawning state between sexes can often result in a short all of gametes of the
required quality and quantity. Depending on species and biogeography, male and female fish can
mature at different times in a spawning season ( bromage & cumaranatunga 1988 ). Under these
asynchronous conditions, especially during the beginning and end of the spawning season, gametes can
be collated and held under appropriate storage conditions for later use. Similarly, if milt or ova of special
interest are acquired for hybridization, they may need to be stored until fertilization can be carried out.
Depending on the species cultured and the number and size of broodstock used for seed
production, gametes, particularly milt, may also need to be stored to facilitate mass fertilization. Such an
application may be of particular interest to salmonid and crap seed producers, who may need to spend
considerable time screening broodstock for ovulated females. In such circumstances milt can be
independently stripped and stored for later use; in this way the yield of eyed eggs in maximized.
In cases where the disease-free status of seed is critical and a farm is known to be infected with
a disease, e.g. IPN, storage of milt in an unfrozen state can be used to minimize financial loss by reducing
the number of egg batches that need to be discarded. In such circumstances milt can be collected from
labeled, males, and stored. The males can then be tested for the presence of relavant disease and only
milt originating from disease-free stock used for maas fertilization of ova.