Application of ultrasonography in abalone gonadal evaluation

作者：Weiguang Zou, Jiawei Hong, Yao-Bin Ma, Wenchao Yu, Yanbo Liu, Chunxiang Ai, Miaoqin Huang, Xuan Luo, Weiwei You, Caihuan Ke · 发表于：Aquaculture and Fisheries · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1016/j.aaf.2024.04.001 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies、Water Quality Monitoring Technologies、Marine and fisheries research

The precise assessment of the gonad status and gamete development level is an essential step in abalone breeding. However, traditional methods are damaging to the animals, causing the waste of a quality parent. Ultrasound imaging as a noninvasive technique is a candidate substitute. This study aimed to verify the application of ultrasonography to the assessment of abalone gonad condition. Pacific abalones (n = 20) were randomly selected for ultrasonography, another six abalones in different gonad maturation stages (mature, between mature and immature, and immature) were also subjected to the same detection and histological analysis. Abalones (n = 10) were induced to spawn, and the changes in the gonad index and the types of germ cells were determined before and after spawning. Thirty-six female abalones were selected and divided into a high-gonad index group (HGI) and a low-gonad index group (LGI) according to the gonad index determined by ultrasonography, and their reproductive performance was compared during the entire breeding process. There was no significant difference in gonad index or gonad relative average thickness (GRAT) obtained from ultrasonography and histological methods. The gonad index and GRAT measured by ultrasound images significantly decreased after spawning. After spawning, a minimal quantity of mature gametes remained in gonad tissue as reflected in histology images. In a reproductive trial, the HGI group showed comprehensive and overwhelming reproductiv...