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Abstract

Assessment of the Reproductive Status of Captive Populations of Endangered Leuciscid Species from the Iberian Peninsula: A. hispanica, I. lusitanicum and A. occidentale †

1
Center of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
2
Aquário Vasco de Gama, 1495-718 Cruz Quebrada, Portugal
3
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ISPA, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Presented at the IX Iberian Congress of Ichthyology, Porto, Portugal, 20–23 June 2022.
Presenting author (Poster presentation).
Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2022, 13(1), 139; https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2022013139
Published: 20 June 2022
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The IX Iberian Congress of Ichthyology)

Abstract

:
Populations of freshwater fish species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula have been declining since the mid-20th century, and the captive breeding of highly endangered species is considered to be a useful tool to restock declining populations. A pioneer project of supportive breeding of critically endangered fish started in 2007 at the Aquário Vasco da Gama (AVG), and this work aims to show the reproductive status of the breeders which make up the current captive broodstoks. Populations of different endangered leuciscid species (Anaecypris hispanica, Iberochondrostoma lusitanicum and Achondrostoma occidentale) were sampled at AVG during the spring of 2022. Breeders were counted and sexed, and males were stripped to check for the presence of spermatozoa. The sperm volume was assessed visually, and spermatozoa motility was assessed by a CASA system. Sperm samples were classified into four classes based on the percentage of motile cells: C-I ≤ 25%, C-II = 25–50%, C-III = 50–75%; and C-IV > 75%. The captive population of A. hispanica consisted of 63 individuals and showed a 40% of spermiating males, with an average volume of 5–10 μL. The histogram of sperm quality reported that 15% males had sperm motility of C-II, 50% of males had sperm motility of C-III and, finally, 35% of males had sperm with the high-quality class (C-IV). The population of I. lusitanicum consisted of 599 individuals and showed 93% of spermiating males, with an average volume of 15–20 μL. The histogram of sperm quality reported that most part of the males had good sperm quality belonging to C-III and C-IV class (26% and 71%, respectively), while just 1 male showed bad quality sperm (C-II). The captive population of A. occidentale consisted of 193 individuals, showing a 62% of spermiating males with an average volume of 20–25 μL. The histogram showed that 6% males had sperm motility of C-I, 26% of males had sperm motility of C-II, the most part of the males (45%) showed a sperm quality of C-III and, finally, 23% of males had sperm with the high-quality class (C-IV). Since the project began in 2007, more than 12,000 fish of these three critically endangered species have been released to restock the populations from which the respective wild breeders were caught. All captive fish were released after a maximum of three consecutive generations in captivity, and new stocks were established with wild adults from the target populations, to avoid the negative effects of inbreeding and genetic drift on the original genetic pool.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, V.G. and E.C.; methodology, A.H., V.G., F.G., C.S.-S. and P.M.G.; formal analysis, A.H.; investigation, V.G. and C.S.-S.; draft preparation, A.H. and V.G.; writing—review editing, V.G. and E.C.; supervision, V.G.; project administration, V.G.; funding acquisition, V.G. and E.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This study was funded by the call “Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions—Individual Fellowships)”, within the project entitled CRYO-FISH (Grant Agreement number: 101038049).

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the CCMAR´s Ethiomittee-ORBEA.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Hernández, A.; Gil, F.; Sousa-Santos, C.; Cabrita, E.; Guerreiro, P.M.; Gallego, V. Assessment of the Reproductive Status of Captive Populations of Endangered Leuciscid Species from the Iberian Peninsula: A. hispanica, I. lusitanicum and A. occidentale. Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2022, 13, 139. https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2022013139

AMA Style

Hernández A, Gil F, Sousa-Santos C, Cabrita E, Guerreiro PM, Gallego V. Assessment of the Reproductive Status of Captive Populations of Endangered Leuciscid Species from the Iberian Peninsula: A. hispanica, I. lusitanicum and A. occidentale. Biology and Life Sciences Forum. 2022; 13(1):139. https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2022013139

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hernández, Ana, Fátima Gil, Carla Sousa-Santos, Elsa Cabrita, Pedro M. Guerreiro, and Victor Gallego. 2022. "Assessment of the Reproductive Status of Captive Populations of Endangered Leuciscid Species from the Iberian Peninsula: A. hispanica, I. lusitanicum and A. occidentale" Biology and Life Sciences Forum 13, no. 1: 139. https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2022013139

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