The Snakeskin Gourami (Trichopodus pectoralis) Tends to Exhibit XX/XY Sex Determination

Thitipong Panthum,Worapong Singchat,Ekaphan Kraichak,Surin Peyachoknagul,Nararat Laopichienpong,Kornsorn Srikulnath,Prateep Duengkae,Dung Ho My Nguyen,Syed Farhan Ahmad,Tariq Ezaz,Nattakan Ariyaraphong,Narongrit Muangmai

doi:10.3390/fishes6040043

Abstract

The snakeskin gourami (Trichopodus pectoralis) has a high meat yield and is one of the top five aquaculture freshwater fishes in Thailand. The species is not externally sexually dimorphic, and its sex determination system is unknown. Understanding the sex determination system of this species will contribute to its full-scale commercialization. In this study, a cytogenetic analysis did not reveal any between-sex differences in chromosomal patterns. However, we used genotyping-by-sequencing to identify 4 male-linked loci and 1 female-linked locus, indicating that the snakeskin gourami tends to exhibit an XX/XY sex determination system. However, we did not find any male-specific loci after filtering the loci for a ratio of 100:0 ratio of males:females. This suggests that the putative Y chromosome is young and that the sex determination region is cryptic. This approach provides solid information that can help identify the sex determination mechanism and potential sex determination regions in the snakeskin gourami, allowing further investigation of genetic improvements in the species.

Highlights

IntroductionThe snakeskin gourami (Trichopodus pectoralis, Regan 1910; Anabantoidei: Osphronemidae) is one of the most common air-breathing freshwater fishes in the Indochina Peninsula [1,2]
To determine whether the sex determination system in the snakeskin gourami was GSD (XX/XY or ZZ/ZW) or ESD, we compared the number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)
This study evaluated genome-wide SNPs in snakeskin gourami using the DArTseq methodology

Summary

Introduction

The snakeskin gourami (Trichopodus pectoralis, Regan 1910; Anabantoidei: Osphronemidae) is one of the most common air-breathing freshwater fishes in the Indochina Peninsula [1,2]. They can survive in waters with low dissolved oxygen and high organic loads, and are often found in rice paddies, ditches, and streams with dense vegetation [3]. The snakeskin gourami generally feeds on zooplankton, crustaceans, and insect larvae [4] It is one of the most popular and colorful species of aquarium fish and an attractive species for commercial farming [5]. Dried snakeskin gourami is widely consumed in Southeast Asia, and recent developments in this regard have led to increasing

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