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- Objectives
- Assess the spawning ecology of captive yellowfin tuna at the Achotines Laboratory, by estimating the number of females that contribute to single spawning events, and their spawning periodicity and frequency
- Background
- Determining spawning patterns and maternal lines of inheritance using genetic techniques contributes to understanding of the stock structure of tropical tunas
- Captive spawning populations are useful for identifying genetic markers for female spawning patterns and matching parental markers to those found in progeny
- During 2011-2014, spawning female yellowfin at the Achotines Laboratory were sampled to develop mitochondrial DNA markers, and these markers are being analyzed in the eggs and larvae to estimate spawning periodicity and frequency of females
- Relevance for management
- Better understanding of reproductive processes contributes to understanding of recruitment and population structure of yellowfin, essential for stock assessment
- Duration
- 12 months (June 2018-June 2019)
- Workplan and status
- June-December 2018: Complete laboratory analysis of genetic markers from spawning adults, eggs and larvae sampled in 2014
- January 2019-December 2021: Preparation of final study results and submission of manuscript
- External collaborators
- Kindai University, Japan
- Deliverables
- SAC-09-14 Review of research at the Achotines Laboratory
- SAC-10-18 Review of research at the Achotines Laboratory
- Publication of results in a scientific journal
- Updated date: 01 Mar 2023
- Progress summary for the reporting period
- Laboratory analysis of genetic markers from spawning adults, eggs and larvae sampled in 2014 completed.
- Analysis of DNA markers to estimate spawning periodicity and frequency of females during 2011- 2014 completed;
- Results for 2011-2013 presented at 69th Tuna Conference.
- Challenges and key lessons learnt
- The genetic analyses for this study are time-consuming and require specialized analytical equipment, available to the group only at Kindai University. This delayed completion of the analysis.
- Results of genetic analysis presented at the 69th Tuna Conference, May 2018, the 71st Tuna Conference, May 2021, the World Aquaculture Society Annual Meeting, March 2019, and the 43rd Larval Fish Conference, May 2019
- SAC-12-15 Review of research at the Achotines Laboratory
- Cusatti, Susana, Daniel Margulies, Vernon Scholey, Yoshifumi Sawada and Yasuo Agawa. 2022. Spawning ecology of captive yellowfin tuna broodstock inferred by the use of mitochondrial DNA sequencing analysis. Aquaculture Science, Vol. 70, No. 4, December 2022.
- Comments
- The genetic study was completed in 2022. An ancillary activity will be the preliminary testing of a kit designed to identify male sex markers from the skin mucus of fish.