Evaluation of the seminal plasma of captive and wild scale carp Cyprinus carpio var. communis in Kashmir, India

Abstract

 Evaluating gamete quality in fish is vital for aquaculture success. This study explores how thehabitat, whether wild or farmed, affects the physical and biochemical composition of scalecarp seminal fluid. Understanding these factors is essential for assessing the reproductivecapabilities of fish species. The seminal plasma contained 70.64±10.75 mg dl-1 glucose,1.99±1.15 g dl-1 total protein, 12.99±5.6 mg dl-1 triglyceride, 5.98±0.629 mg dl-1 cholesteroland 25.22±4.047 mg dl-1 urea in wild conditions, whereas in farmed conditions, the seminalplasma contained 85.06±9.29 mg dl-1 glucose, 0.917±0.62 g dl-1 total protein, 12.3±5.22 mg dl-1triglyceride, 5.53±1.161 mg dl-1 cholesterol and 28.4±5.75 mg dl-1 urea. The physicalparameters like mean sperm volume, mean sperm motility, mean movement duration,mean sperm density and mean pH recorded in the in the wild fishes were 2.393±1.64 ml,75.038±10.162%, 50.367±13.92, 3.534±.272 109 ml and 8.29±.494, while the parametersin farmed fishes were 1.486±0.88 ml, 68.9±12.46%, 44.66±13.48 s, 3.84±0.181109 mland 8.5±0.311 respectively. In correlation matrix, the sperm volume (R2=0.247, p<0.01),pH (R2=0.059, p<0.01) and total protein (R2=0.1882, p<0.01) showed significant positivecorrelations with sperm motility. Wild brooders outperformed cultured counterpartsin several aspects, viz., milt volume, sperm motility percentage, duration, total protein,triglyceride and cholesterol levels. However, cultured males exhibited elevated glucose andurea concentrations, possibly indicating stress from captivity, handling, or confinementand increased urea due to ammonia in ponds. These findings underscore the importanceof considering these parameters in standardising artificial fertilisation or cryopreservationtechniques for common carp spermatozoa. Keywords:Biochemical parameters, Cyprinus carpio var. communis, Farmed, Sperm motility, Wild