Synchronization of ovulation in brook char (Salvelinus fontinalis, Mitchill 1814) using emulsified d-Arg6Pro9NEt sGnRHa

Effects of physiological saline (PS)-dissolved or Freund′s incomplete adjuvant (FIA)-emulsified sGnRHa on the induction and advancement of ovulation in brook char were assessed. Two-year-old females were randomly divided into 5 groups. Groups A and B received intraperitoneal injection of FIA-emulsified sGnRHa (sGnRHa-FIA) at dosages of 50 and 25 μg kg^?1 body weight (BW), respectively. Females in group C were treated with a double injection (DI) of PS-dissolved sGnRHa (sGnRHa-PS) at 25 μg kg^?1 BW spaced 3 days apart. Fish in group D received a 25 μg kg^?1 BW single injection (SI) of sGnRHa-PS. Group E was established as a control group. After stripping, ovarian plasma pH level was measured, and an egg sample was taken from each female to record egg weight and diameter and survival to the eyed stage. Females in the GnRHa-treated groups ovulated significantly earlier than did females in the control group (P < 0.01). No significant differences were found among GnRHa-treated groups in ovulation dynamics and mean time to ovulation. Ovarian fluid pH was significantly higher in groups A, B, and C compared to control group E (P < 0.05). Significantly lower egg weight was found only in group B (P < 0.01), although all advanced groups tended to have lower egg weight than the control group. Egg diameters paralleled egg weight. Survival to the eyed stage was significantly higher in GnRHa-advanced groups compared to the control. A negative relationship was found between egg weight end eyed eggs percent (R ² = 0.26). No pre-spawning or post-spawning mortality was observed during a 6-month period. Neither sGnRHa-PS nor sGnRHa-FIA are associated with negative influences on the health of females. The sGnRHa-FIA injections proved to exhibit the same efficacy as the DI protocol with sGnRHa-PS. Although no statistical differences were found in ovulation dynamics, we do not recommend the use of SI with sGnRHa-PS in brook char.