Induction of precocious sexual development in female pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha).

Abstract

Acceleration of ovarian maturation was achieved in immature pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) with injections of chinook (spring) salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) gonadotropin alone, and in combination with estradiol 17β. Oocytes containing yolk globules were evident in fish treated three times per week with 1.0 μg/g body weight salmon gonadotropin in combination with 1.5 μg/g body weight estradiol 17β for 126 days. After 168 days they were also seen in salmon treated with the same dosage of salmon gonadotropin alone. Estradiol 17β alone, at a dosage of 15 μg/g body weight, or in combination with salmon gonadotropin, inhibited vitellogenesis. Formation of oocytes 2 mm in diameter required [Formula: see text] months of treatment with 1.0 μg/g body weight salmon gonadotropin in combination with 1.5 μg/g body weight estradiol 17β, and 9 months of injections with 1.0 μg/g body weight gonadotropin alone. Few large yolky oocytes were developed by any of the treatments. Large numbers of preovulatory corpora atretica were observed in all treated fish.Only a small amount of histochemically demonstrable Δ5-3β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity was present in ovaries from pink or chinook salmon juveniles treated for 3 months with various dosages of salmon gonadotropin.