Experimental production of triploid brown trout, Salmo trutta L., using heat shock

Abstract. This study was designed to investigate the potential of heat shock to produce triploidy in brown trout, Salmo trutta L., and to develop a methodof routinely identifying triploids in this species. Triploids were produced in all heat-shocked batches and were identified by the size of their erythrocyte nucleus, which had a volume ratio of 1:1-57 relative to diploid controls. Cytogenetic and flow cytometric analyses confirmed that trout with the larger nuclei were triploid. Heat shock of 28°Cof 10 min duration initiated 5-15 min post-insemination produced high rates of triploidy in experimental batches (88-2-100%), later shocks at 20-25 min producing lower rates (down to 60%). Reproducibilicy of tripioid rates was generally good, a maximum difference between replicates of 21.9% being observed, the majority of differences being considerably less. The highest triploid yield was produced with a heat shock of 28°C for 10 min initiated at 10 or 20 min post-insemination, the difference between replicates being due to variability in survival to hatch. Survival to hatch was generally lower in groups having higher rates of tripioidy.