High temperature-induced masculinization in yellow

catfish Tachysurus fulvidraco: A potential approach for

environmental-friendly mono-sex production
Yue Yua, Min Chena, Piao-Piao Qia, Le-Yi Changa, Ting Wanga, Chen-Hao Hua,
Zi-Yi Lua, Qi-Xue Fana,b, Zhi-Gang Shena,*
aEngineering Research Center of Green development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the
Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry
of Agriculture, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, College of Fisheries,
Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, PR China bHuBei HuangYouYuan Fishery Development Limited
Company, Wuhan 430070, PR China

Name: Nur Filzah Athirah Mohamad Zin

 WHY MONO-SEX?

• Grow fast
• More active non-specific immune response
• Body weight reaching two to three times bigger
• Higher resistance to Edwardsiella ictaluri (causes
the main mortality in the entire rearing period)

steroids, inhibitors of steroidogenesis

enzymes, and steroid receptor antagonists
 HOW?

Figure 1 Timetable of experimental design illustrating treatments, the critical period of

sex differentiation of yellow catfish, and sampling points. HT, high-temperature group, 33
◦C; CR, control group; CS, cortisol administrating group, 300 mg kg− 1 (ppm, parts per
million) feed. HT and CS treatments were initiated at 15 days post-fertilization (DPF) and
terminated at 38 DPF. Five sampling points, 25 DPF, 35 DPF, 45 DPF, 65 DPF, and 125
DPF were indicated by blue triangles.
RESULT?
1) Phenotypic sex was preliminarily identified by
the appearance based on experience
2) Gonadal sex was further identified by the
profiling of ribosome RNA (rRNA)

Figure 2 Genotypic and phenotypic sex of yellow catfish

in three treatment groups. A, partial electrophoresis images
of genotypic sex identification using a sex-specific marker of
yellow catfish (X-955 bp, Y-826 bp, Dan et al., 2013). B,
phenotypic and genotypic sexes in three treatment groups
at 65 days post- fertilization. HT, high temperature group, 33
◦C (n = 48); CR, control group (n = 48); CS, cortisol group,
300 mg kg− 1 feed (n = 48). XY♂, genotypic and phenotypic
male; XX♀, genotypic and phenotypic female; XX♂,
genotypic female while phenotypic male, pseudo-male.
Phenotypic sex was identified using the histological
examination. Phenotypic sex, sex identified based on the
content of gonads, which is either ovary or testis. No
intersex gonad was observed in the current work
RESULT?
Figure 3 Representative gonadal
histology of different genotypic sexes in three
treatment groups at 35 days post-fertilization
in yellow catfish. HT, high-temperature
group, 33 ◦C; CR, control group; CS, cortisol
group, 300 mg kg− 1 feed. XX-1, XX
genotype is expected to develop as females.
XX-2, XX genotype is expected to develop as
males. XY, genotypic male. HT group: A, XX-
1 ovary, displaying normal development of
the ovary. B, XX-2 gonad, displaying
initiation of testis development. C, XY male,
displaying the development of primordial
testis. CR group: D, displaying normal
development of the ovary. E, displaying the
development of primordial testis. CS group:
F, XX-1 ovary, displaying normal
development of ovary; G, XX-2 gonad,
displaying degenerating ovary and initiation
of testis development. H, XY male, displaying
the development of primordial testis.
 CONCLUSION

Environment stressor (such as high

temperature) induced masculinization allow
us to further establish all-female and all-male
production