WHOLE

        * Luteinizing-Releasing Hormone (LH-RH (a))

                                                    * Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)

                                                 *Salmon Pituitary Extract (SPE)
 

                                                 *Sturgeon Pituitary Extract

Note: (1)Products with* sign are available to qualified person and cooperation's only.

          (2) Products with # sign are not sold  in U.S

THE PRACTICE OF INDUCED BREEDING IN FISH CULTURE

As we approach the year 2006, aquaculture as an emergent technology appears to be a vital solution to the world food crisis.

A major problem:  availability of seed stock

Aquaculture, with its efficient production of protein rich species, may help eliminate   famine and malnutrition in third world countries.  However, our industry is limited by a major problem:  availability of seed stock.

All aquaculture technologies, whether they rely on hatcheries to produce offspring, or capture it from the wild, are ultimately limited in their production.  The use of hormones for induced maturation, spawning and sex reversal of captive fish is one of the most important and exciting areas of fisheries research.  Argent Laboratories has had a major impact in this area and conducts extensive research and development programs.

A discovery made in 1934 in Brazil has paved the way for the significant advances in induced spawning and maturation of captive fish.  This discovery centered around the injection of fish pituitary glands from sexually mature fish to induce spawning in broodstock.

Speed up maturation as well as the spawning process itself

In the last decade significant research has been conducted worldwide on ripening fish sexuality using pituitary preparations.  Much of this has centered around pituitary extracts of salmon and carp.  Using acetone dried extracts of Carp or Salmon pituitaries (C.P.E. and S.P.E.) fish culturists can speed up maturation (induced maturation) as well as the spawning process itself (induced spawning).  Intramuscular injections of CPE and SPE are highly effective in increasing the incidence of spawning as well as possibly increasing egg  take in certain species.  The potential economic benefits of taking eggs earlier (or later) in a given season or in fact eliminating seasonality altogether in certain climates and regions are significant.

LH-RH(a) deals with maturation and spawning at a higher "command level"

Current research has brought forth yet another new approach to induce spawning and maturation.  This is the use of Luteinizing-releasing Hormone analogue LH-RH(a).   typically, the hypothalamus portion of a fish's brain is stimulated by complex environmental factors to secrete LH-RH which in turn triggers the pituitary gland to release gonadotropic hormones.  the gonadotropic hormones travel by way of the general circulation to the gonads (ovary or testes).   The gonadal tissue receiving the stimulus of gonadotropin begins the maturation process whereby the fish is ready to begin reproduction or spawning.  A specific analogue of LH-RH is manufactured by  Argent laboratories which is many times stronger than the naturally occurring one.  Research has shown this to be the most potent maturation and spawning aid.  additionally, the LH-Rh "a" analogue is not specific to any particular species and should be applicable universally to all species.  LH-RH(a) then deals with maturation and spawning at a higher "command level" than do pituitary extracts which are essentially gonadotropic agents.

An alternate, yet less specific method of inducing spawning is to augment serum gonadotropic levels by injection of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG).  HCG is a cost effective method for inducing spawning but it is primarily used on ripe fish to insure completeness of spawning as well as maximum output.  HCG is perhaps the oldest method of induced spawning in commercial use.

An interesting modification in breeding is the use of sex hormones to reverse male to female population ratios.  Currently, the use of 17 alpha-methyl testosterone (a male sex hormone) in Tilapia culture has provided enhancement of male populations and hence milt output.  The hormone is fed to juvenile fish for as long as three weeks and induces a sex change from female to male as required.

Research is continuing with female sex hormones, primarily estradiol to see if other positive beneficial results can be obtained.

As the biology of many species of fish is still unknown, the use of hormones to induce propagation must be conducted with caution.  Many factors may ultimately effect sexual maturation.  These must be recognized within the total scheme of reproduction.   As new reproduction often requires modification from species to species and, indeed within species from region to region.

HORMONES

C.P.E.

Acetone-dried Carp Pituitary Extract, 1 gram vials, certified disease-free.  Often used in conjunction with HCG for best results.

C-CARP-PEG,  1 gram

LH-RH(a)

Luteinizing-Releasing Hormone. The most significant advance in spawning technology.  LH-RH(a) is a synthetic peptide protein produced by Argent Laboratories; when injected into brood-stock, LH-RH(a) stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete gonadotropins and initiate spawning.  The preparation is not species-specific.

C-LHRH-AN  packaged as 1 milligram vials.

1 x 1 mg

5 x 1 mg.

25 x 1 mg.

Larger

H.C.G.

Each Vial contains 10,000I.U. units of the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin with a separate 10 c.c. vial of sterile diluent-water.  HCG is often used as a primer with pituitary extracts of salmon or carp as well as with synthetic hormones like LH-RH.   10,000 I.U. co-vial.

C-HCG-ON-10

1 bottle

10 bottles

100 bottles

S.P.E.

Acetone-dried Salmon Pituitary extract is prepared from pituitaries harvested form returning Pacific Northwest salmon.  These pituitaries are enriched with high levels of gonadotropin hormones.  Preferred by aquaculturalists world-wide.

C-SALM-PE

1 x 1 gram

5 x 1 gram

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