**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CATFISH FARMING ACCOUNTS FOR NEARLY 70% OF TOTAL UNITED STATES FRESHWATER AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION, WHERE THE CHANNEL CATFISH, ICTALURUS PUNCTATUS FEMALE × BLUE CATFISH, I. FURCATUS MALE HYBRID CONSTITUTES >50% OF THE HARVEST. CURRENT PRACTICES TO PRODUCE HYBRID EMBRYOS ARE LABOR INTENSIVE AND REQUIRE THE SACRIFICE OF MALES FOR GAMETE COLLECTION AND IN VITRO FERTILIZATION. UNFORTUNATELY, BLUE CATFISH SPERM ARE OFTEN OF INADEQUATE QUALITY AND QUANTITY AND DO NOT NECESSARILY GIVE HIGH FERTILIZATION RATES AND OFFSPRING VIABILITY. AS A RESULT, WE WILL TEST THE TESTICULAR-MEDIATED PATERNAL EFFECTS HYPOTHESIS FOR AQUACULTURE, WHICH PREDICTS THAT REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE INDICES (I.E. BODY METRICS, TESTES MORPHOLOGY, STEROID HORMONES, MIRNA) AND PATERNITY WILL VARY AMONG MALES. THESE FACTORS WILL COLLECTIVELY AFFECT QUALITY OF FRESH AND CRYOPRESERVED SPERM AND SUBSEQUENT OFFSPRING PERFORMANCE. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE TO: (I) DETERMINE THE MINIMUM QUANTITY OF SPERM REQUIRED TO FERTILIZE EGGS TO MAXIMIZE HATCH, (II) INVESTIGATE HOW SEASONAL AND AGE VARIATION IMPACT MALE REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE, AND (III) LINK THESE REPRODUCTIVE INDICES TO FRESH AND CRYOPRESERVED SPERM QUALITY AND OFFSPRING PERFORMANCE. THIS PROJECT MEETS THE ANIMAL REPRODUCTION PROGRAM GOALS, AS IT WILL LEAD TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF MECHANISMS UNDERLYING REPRODUCTION, GONADAL FUNCTION, GAMETE QUALITY, AND GAMETE PRESERVATION AT THE CELLULAR, MOLECULAR, GENETIC, ORGAN SYSTEM (TESTES), AND WHOLE-ANIMAL LEVEL. KNOWLEDGE GAINED WILL REDUCE PRODUCTION COSTS AND IMPROVE REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY FOR AN ECONOMICALLY VALUABLE FARM ANIMAL. RESULTS CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER FISHES OF NATIONAL SCOPE AND HAS POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT CATFISH FARMS AND SURROUNDING AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES.

Auburn University, Auburn AL

Investigators