The 10th International Symposium on Sturgeon (ISS10)

Objective: to evaluate the possibilities of ultrasound screening of the reproductive system and internal organs of sturgeon fish to optimize broodstock management. At present, these are especially urgent in conditions of intensive aquaculture, decreasing genetic diversity of sturgeon broodstock, climate change, pollution, and alteration of the water regime of rivers.
In the present paper we present the results of long-term all season ultrasound monitoring of 160 large broodstocks of 13 sturgeon species in intensive aquaculture and wild specimen, based on the analysis of circa 5 mln. echograms. Affordable (less than 5000 US$) ultrasound scanners Mindray 6600-6900 (frequency 1.5-10 MHz)  have been used.
This has allowed to conduct an analysis of species-specific peculiarities of sturgeon reproductive status at all-year round alive obtaining of ovulated eggs and controlling seasonality of females maturation.
It has been established, that timely non-invasive express ultrasound detection of females with gonads at II fatty stage for further separate feeding allows to considerably shift the ratio of somatic growth and generative metabolism in favor of the latter. This allows to prevent obesity of the gonads, liver, heart; as well as cyst formation and more dangerous negative consequences of metabolic disorders. Echograms serve as indicators for optimizing the feeding regime and subsequent (from III-IV maturity stage) temperature changes for the accelerated onset and following completion of vitellogenesis, prevention of oocyte atresia and increase the rate and quality of fertilized eggs and caviar.
Considering an immediate result for tagging and simultaneous distribution of sturgeon specimens already in the course of the broodstock assessment or field monitoring of wild individuals - ultrasound screening has no alternative, especially for large sturgeon hatcheries and caviar-oriented farms.

sturgeons, ultrasound screening, reproductive system, heterochrony of maturation, vitellogenesis, optimization of the structure of farmed broodstock, wild specimens