INDUCED MORPHOMETRIC ALTERATIONS THROUGH SEXUAL REVERSION OF NILE TILAPIA, <em>Oreochromis niloticus</em> (Linnaeus, 1757)

  • Licia Maria Lundstedt UEL
  • Julio Hermann Leonhardt UEL
  • Ana Lúcia Dias UEL

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the occurrence of morphometric differences between control males and females and the males and females obtained by Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) sexual reversion. Cytogenetic techniques were used in this species which resulted in 2N=44 chromosomes and a slight heteromorphism in the chromosomic pair which was higher in males. This suggested a XX/XY sexual mechanism that enable the identification of the group of females which under hormonic treatment changed into males. Six morphometric reasons were established to characterise each group. The male control group presented a body structure, which in the fillet slicing would result in a higher carcass yield when compared to sex-reversed males and females which did not show any statistically significant difference. Control group females showed smaller body structure when compared to the other groups. The conclusion of this study suggest that the 17-α-methyltestosterone hormone used in the process of sexual reversion affected significantly the body structure of the fish submitted to the treatment.

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Author Biography

Licia Maria Lundstedt, UEL
Atualmente é Pesquiadora Associada ao Departamento de Genética e Evolução da Universidade Federal de São Carlos e Professora do Centro Universitário Central Paulista. Dentre 2006 a 2007 atuou como pesquisadora convidada do "Institute for Marine Biosciences (IMB) - National Research Council Canada (NRC-Ca). Tem experiência na área de Recursos Pesqueiros, com ênfase em Aqüicultura, atuando principalmente nos seguintes temas: Aquicultura, Metabolismo e Bioenergética, Enzimologia e Nutri-Genômica. Currículo Lattes
Published
2008-07-23
Section
Biological Sciences