Masculinization of the native cichlid Petenia splendida

What is it about?

The possibility of inducing sex reversal in bay snook, Petenia splendida, was evaluated to generate a protocol aimed at producing single-sex populations (100% males) and improving farming conditions for this species. This popular staple food is a cichlid fish native to Central America with aquaculture potential. We evaluated oral administration of the synthetic steroid 17α-Methyltestosterone (MT) to determine optimal dosage (30, 45 and 60 mg per kg of food) and days of feeding (30, 45 and 60) to attain efficient masculinization. The statistical analysis indicates a highly significant effect of both factors as well as for the interaction (p<001). We registered significant differences in growth at the end of the experiment; fish fed with 60 mg of MT during 60 days reached the largest size, while fish fed with no MT were smaller. No significant differences were observed for survival (p>0.05) ranging from 55.7 to 75.3% in the treatments. We recommend two main effective approaches for masculinization: administer 60 mg of MT/kg of food during 30 days of feeding and administer 30 mg of MT/kg during 45 days.

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Why is it important?

Inclusion of new species into aquacultural practices is needed. Petenia splendida has potential and a large market in Central America.

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