Growing a triple hybrid of russian, siberian and amur sturgeons in a warm-water fish farm

Biological and production indices are presented for spawning females of triple hybrid between russian sturgeon, siberian sturgeon and amur sturgeon (RS × SS) × AS and other commercial forms of sturgeon grown in cages of the warm-water fish farm in Luchegorsk, Far East of Russia. In conditions of warm-water pools, survival rate of the triple hybrid larvae and juveniles was higher than that of amur sturgeon and russian-siberian hybrid sturgeon. Weight of the triple hybrid specimens at the age of 3 and 4 years was 1.58 kg and 2.36 kg, respectively, that was higher than that of the russian-siberian hybrid sturgeon and close to the values for amur sturgeon. Fish harvest reached 94 kg/m2 of cage, or 134 kg/m2 of cage in sum with the realized fish. Up to 93 % of females matured after using of hormonal stimulation. The first female of the triple hybrid sturgeon matured at the age of 9 years, with its body weight of 13.1 kg. Other females became matured in different age, up to 16 years, but ¾ of them were matured at the age of 10–12 years. The maximum registered weight of the triple hybrid female was 29 kg (age 14 years). Inter-spawning intervals for 97 % of females were 1–2 years. Average annual yield of hard roe obtained from one female at the age of 9–16 years was 2.28 kg, average weight of one egg was 17.6 mg, average fecundity was 132 . 103 eggs/female or 7.4 . 103 eggs/kg, average oosomatic index was 12.8 %. These values of production indices for the triple hybrid females are mainly intermediate between the indices of initial species. In 3–4 spawning seasons, the yield of 5.25 kg of hard roe, on average, was harvested from one female of the triple hybrid, or 30 % of its body weight. The yield from the most productive females was 10.8–11.0 kg of roe, or 55–73 % of their body weight. These values are lower than the yeild from amur sturgeon but similar to the yield value for russian-siberian hybrid sturgeon. Caviar manufactured from the roe of triple hybrid sturgeon is distinguished by high quality. Its females are technologically advanced for the eggs harvesting and have a good survival, about 98 % during long-term exploitation. So, the triple hybrid of russian, siberian and amur sturgeon can be recommended for commercial cultivation in warm-water sturgeon farms with intensive harvesting.

triple hybrid sturgeon, cultivated fish, production index, fish cage, warmwater farm

1. Burtsev, I.A., Sposob polucheniya ikry ot samok ryb (A method of obtaining caviar from female fish): A.S. 244793. Decl. 12.11.1967; Publ. 05.28.1969. Bull. no. 18.

2. Krylova, V.D., Biotechnology of commodity cultivation of bester and Lena sturgeon in a three- year cycle, Ryb. khoz-vo. Ser. Vosproizvodstvo ipastbishchnoye vyrashchivaniye gidrobiontov (Pisces. household. Ser. Reproduction and pasture cultivation of aquatic organisms: analytical and abstract information), Moscow: VNIERKh, 2003, no. 2.

3. Miburo Zachary, Using hybridization of Russian sturgeon with Siberian species to increase production of marketable products, Cand. Sci. (Agricultural.) Dissertation, Samara, 2018.

4. Pravdin, I.F., Rukovodstvo po izucheniyu ryb (preimushchestvenno presnovodnykh) (Guide to the Study of Fish (Mainly Freshwater)), 4th ed., Moscow: Pishchevaya Promyshlennost’, 1966.

5. Rachek, E.I., Amvrosov, D.Yu., Voropaev, V.M., Valova, V.N., Skirin, V.I., and Kozhukhov, E.V., Razrabotka tekhnologii kombinirovannogo vyrashchivaniya dal’nevostochnykh osetrovykh v basseynakh i sadkakh teplovodnogo khozyaystva (Development of technology for the combined cultivation of Far Eastern sturgeons in basins and cages of a warm-water economy), Available from TINRO, 2005, Vladivostok, no. Gos. reg. 01.20.0010949; inv. no. 25554.

6. Rachek, E.I. and Amvrosov, D.Y., Characteristic of spawners for amur sturgeon Acipenser schrenckii from warm-water cage farm in the process of long-term exploitation, Izv. Tikhookean. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 2018, vol. 192, pp. 202-213, DOI: 10.26428/1606-9919-2018-192-202-213

7. Rachek, E.I. and Svirsky, V.G., Process of the Amur sturgeon domestication in the warm-water farm Primorye, Izv. Tikhookean. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 2008, vol. 155, pp. 219-229.

8. Rachek, E.I., Svirsky, V.G., and Skirin, V.I., Generative and somatic production of sturgeon females from experimental fish farm in Primorye as the basis for caviar output, Izv. Tikhookean. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 2010, vol. 161, pp. 229-250.

9. Rachek, E.I., Svirsky, V.G., and Skirin, V.I., Instruktsiya po vyrashchivaniyu segoletok amur- skogo osetra i kalugi kombinirovannym metodom v basseynakh i sadkakh teplovodnykh khozyaystv (Instructions for growing yearlings of Amur sturgeon and kaluga using the combined method in pools and cages of warm-water farms), Vladivostok: TINRO-Tsentr, 2004a.

10. Rachek, E.I., Skirin, V.I., and Kozhukhov, E.V., Vremennaya instruktsiya po tovarnomu vyra¬shchivaniyu amurskogo osetra i kalugi v sadkakh teplovodnykh khozyaystv (Temporary instruction for the commercial cultivation of Amur sturgeon and kaluga in cages of warm-water farms), Available from TINRO-Tsentr, 2004b, Vladivostok, no. Gos. reg. 01.20.0010949; inv. no. 25269.

11. Rachek, E.I., Skirin, V.I., and Kornilova, A.V., Amur sturgeon hybrids for commercial rear¬ing, Rybn. Khoz., 2013, no. 3, pp. 70-78.

12. Rachek, E.I., Skirin, V.I., Svirsky, V.G., and Amvrosov, D.Yu., Commercial cultivation of interge¬neric sterlet hybrids with kaluga in a warm-water economy, Osetrovoyekhozyaystvo, 2009, no. 3, pp. 52-63.

13. Safronov, A.S., Quality assessment of sturgeon producers using the example of bester, Russian, Siberian sturgeon and a hybrid between them as breeding and selection objects in aquaculture, Cand. Sci. (Biol.) Dissertation, Moscow, 2003.

14. Safronov, A.S. and Filippova, O.P., The experience of growing a Russian hybrid (Acipenser guldenstadti Br.) and Siberian (Acipenser baeri Br.) Sturgeon in the Kaduy-Rykhkhoz warm-water economy of the Vologda Oblast, in Osetrovyye na rubezheXXI veka (Tez. doc. Int. conf. “Sturgeon at the turn of the XXI century”), Astrakhan: Kasp. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz., 2000, pp. 317-318.

15. Trusov, V.Z., Some features of maturation and maturity scale of the sex glands of the sturgeon, Tr. Vses. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 1964, vol. 56, pp. 69-78.

16. Filippova, O.P. and Zuevsky, S.E., Prospects for growing a hybrid of Russian sturgeon with Siberian sturgeon in Russia, in Strategiya 2020: Integratsionnyye protsessy obrazovaniya, nauki i biznesa kak osnova innovatsionnogo razvitiya akvakul ’tury v Rossii (Col. of papers Int. scientific- practical Forum “Strategy 2020: Integration processes of education, science and business as the basis for the innovative development of aquaculture in Russia”), Moscow: MGUTU, 2009, pp. 56-66.

17. Chebanov, M.S. and Galich, E.V., Rukovodstvo po iskusstvennomu vosproizvodstvu osetrovykh ryb (Guidelines for Artificial Reproduction of Sturgeons: FAO Technical Report on Fisheries), Ankara: FAO, 2013, no. 558.

18. Metodicheskiye rekomendatsiipoprimeneniyu surfagona dlya stimulyatsii sozrevaniya samok i samt- sov osetrovykh ryb na rybovodnykh zavodakh del’ty Volgi (Guidelines for the use of surphagon to stimulate the maturation of females and males of sturgeons in fish breeding plants of the Volga delta), St. Petersburg, 2010.