Chapter 5 - An update on induced breeding methods in fish aquaculture and scope for new potential techniques

Abstract

Artificial propagation is an integral part of fish culture today. Under captivity conditions, fishes do not breed naturally; the exact cause is still unknown and attributed to “stress.” Fishes under captive conditions do not elicit the required gonadotropin “surge,” which controls the downstream events culminating in spawning. Hence, gonadotropin supplementation, provided directly or indirectly, is the key to the basis of any artificial breeding method so far. Over the years, methods have evolved and improved, thanks to the advancements in our knowledge of fish reproductive physiology, such that brood fish are triggered to spawn largely by the endogenous process. While scientists achieved remarkable success on this regard, the scope for newer methods is open with the furthering of our knowledge of reproductive physiology. This short review is an attempt to update the present knowledge and discuss the future perspectives.