Effects of Thyroxin and Domperidone on Oocyte Maturation and Spawning Performances in the Rabbit Fish, Siganus guttatus

Abstract

AbstractThyroxin (T4) is proven to have various functions in fish reproduction. In this study, we investigated oocyte maturation and spawning performance in the rabbit fish, Siganus guttatus, orally exposed to different doses of T4 (0.05, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/kg fish) during vitellogenesis. No statistically significant differences of reproductive characteristics were observed among the treatments. However, the group that was exposed to the dose of 0.5 mg/kg spawned after receiving a hormone injection. The findings suggest that feeding T4 during vitellogenesis did not advance oocyte maturation, but probably could induce spawning in rabbit fish. In a separate experiment, we investigated the effects of orally administered domperidone (DOM) on reproductive performances of the female rabbit fish. The study showed that oral administration of DOM during the early stages of the reproductive cycle had no significant effects on oocyte maturation and spawning performance. Overall, these findings suggest that DOM may not be needed for the induction of maturation and spawning of this species under aquaculture conditions. These practical investigations were conducted with a view to attempt reducing drug use, production costs, and support sustainable aquaculture.