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Volitional Spawning of Captive‐Reared Age‐4 Alligator Gars
Author(s) -
Patterson Joshua T.,
DiMaggio Matthew A.,
Green Christopher C.,
Watson Craig A.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
north american journal of aquaculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.432
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1548-8454
pISSN - 1522-2055
DOI - 10.1002/naaq.10075
Subject(s) - biology , alligator , sexual maturity , broodstock , zoology , fishery , diapause , american alligator , ecology , aquaculture , fish <actinopterygii> , larva
Alligator Gars Atractosteus spatula are being cultured to restore populations in areas of their historical occurrence or abundance. This phylogenetically ancient species can be long‐lived and reach a large body size. Broodfish development has been considered an obstacle for aquaculture because of the species’ advanced age at maturity and unpredictable volitional spawning, requiring large animals to be injected with spawning‐inducing hormones. This species has been the focus of a collaborative conservation program involving universities in the southeastern United States and Mexico. Alligator Gars from eggs fertilized in Louisiana on May 2, 2013, were brought to Florida, where they matured, spawned without hormone induction, and produced viable larvae before April 25, 2017. A rapid change in osmotic environment directly preceded this spawning event. Data on Alligator Gar life history are limited, and this fundamental observation provides novel information on the age of sexual maturity. Ovarian development indicating sexual maturity in similar‐aged fish previously has been described from dissections of otolith‐aged specimens, but this article describes the earliest reported spawning of known‐age fish.