Standard and innovative reproductive biotechnologies for the development of finfish farming

Abstract This chapter offers an overview of the principal biotechnologies used in the production of fish of commercial interest, particularly Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). It also describes biotechnologies applied to the production of other freshwater species such as tilapia, catfish, and carp, and marine fish such as cobia, bass, and sea bream. These biotechnologies focus on a number of areas: artificial manipulation of the photoperiod to obtain out-of-season spawning; use of hormone treatments with extracts of carp or salmon hypophysis to synchronize final maturation of the oocyte; acceleration of sexual maturity and/or increasing the volume of semen produced by males; cold storage of semen using different enriched media, together with oocyte and embryo cryopreservation. Other biotechnologies are associated with the management of monosex populations, frequently produced in species where one sex is preferred for its productive yield, or polyploid specimens and hybridization. In addition, technologies associated with the production of chimeras and transgenic fish have been considered. In this chapter a major emphasis has been given to those technologies that are more developed in fish farming worldwide or that offer the best prospects for future applications.