Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
2009, Vol 9, Num, 1 (Pages: 67-76)
Physical and Biochemical Characteristics of Semen and Ultrastructure of Spermatozoa in Six Carp Species
D.K. Verma 1 ,P. Routray 1 ,C. Dash 1 ,S. Dasgupta 1 ,J.K. Jena 1
1 Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (I.C.A.R), Aquaculture Production and Environment Division, Cryobiology Laboratory, Kausalyaganga, Bhubaneswar-751002, Orissa, India
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The aim of the study was to investigate the physical difference in biochemical characteristics of spermatological and
seminal plasma and also ultrastructure of spermatozoa in six carp species, viz. catla, Catla catla, rohu, Labeo rohita, kalbasu,
Labeo calbasu, mrigal, Cirrhinus mrigala, silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon
idella. Semen yield from different carps ranged from 6.6 to 8.9-ml/kg body weight at the peak-spawning season. Sperm
density (spermatocrit) showed a range of 69-81% among the six carps. Similarly, the sperm count varied between 2.6 x
1010/ml to 3.5 x 1010/ml in six species of carps. The motility of carp spermatozoa ranged from 80 to 110 sec in different
species. Maximum motility of 110 sec was observed in mrigal. The mean pH and osmolality ranges were 7.3-8.1 and 269-
289 mOsm/kg. The ion concentrations were: Na+ 106±1.2, 85.2±1.0, 81.8±3.6, 94±2.27, 64±1.2, 110 ± 0.81 mEq/L, K+
25±1.2, 32.1±1.1, 48.6±2.4, 51±3.67, 25±0.8, 36 ±1.2 mEq/L, Cl- 246 ±2.0, 175±4.3, 174±5.2, 245±7.7, 226 ±0.8, 253±0.4
mEq/L for catla, rohu, mrigal, kalbasu, silver carp and grass carp, respectively. The other parameters of seminal plasma were:
total protein; 0.2±0.006, 0.1±0.006, 0.4±0.06, 0.4±0.04, 0.6±0.08, 0.8±0.14 g/dl; cholesterol 14.1±0.8, 17.4±1.7, 22.8±1.3,
15.4±0.61, 14.0±0.7, 12.7±0.7 mg/dl and glucose 1.2±0.11, 1.4±0.07, 1.8±0.16, 1.2±0.12, 2.0±0.34, 2.0±0.35 mg/dl for catla,
rohu, mrigal, kalbasu, silver carp and grass carp, respectively. Ultra structure by electron microscopy revealed that
spermatozoon of carp is composed of head without any acrosomal complex with circular to elliptical nucleus and tail or
flagellum with a midpiece consisting of mitochondrial ring. The size of the spermatozoa varied significantly among different
carp species (P<0.05). All six carp flagellum has a typical 9+2 axoneme arrangement. Indian major carps, silver carp and
grass carp are seasonal breeders and to make artificial propagation successful by utilizing the available brood fish in an
efficient way, the present information on the normal physical and chemical characteristics of semen of these carps presented
in this paper will eventually help in selecting good milters and devising improved protocols for cryopreservation and artificial
propagation methods.
Keywords :
CASA, carp, ion composition, motility, osmolality, semen, ultrastructure