Parental impacts on industry-relevant offspring performance traits using blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus (Valenciennes, 1840), cryopreserved sperm

Authors: WOOD, KYLE - Auburn University; TACKETT, MACKENZIE - Auburn University; MARTIN, KAYLAN - Auburn University; LIYANAGE, SAMITHA - Auburn University; WANG, XU - Auburn University; ZHANG, YING - Auburn University; Beck, Benjamin; Abernathy, Jason; DUNHAM, REX - Auburn University; ROY, LUKE - Auburn University; BUTTS, IAN - Auburn University

Submitted to: Theriogenology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/12/2025
Publication Date: 4/21/2025
Citation: Wood, K.R., Tackett, M.V., Martin, K.A., Liyanage, S.S., Wang, X., Zhang, Y., Beck, B.H., Abernathy, J.W., Dunham, R.A., Roy, L.A., Butts, I.A. 2025. Parental impacts on industry-relevant offspring performance traits using blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus (Valenciennes, 1840), cryopreserved sperm. Theriogenology. 247: Article 117557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2025.117577.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2025.117577

Interpretive Summary: As the largest aquaculture industry in the U.S., catfish farming accounts for ~60 % of total U.S. finfish aquaculture production, in which the channel catfish female by blue catfish male hybrid constitutes most of the harvest. Issues persist with the male blue catfish due to late sexual maturity, lethal procedure needed to collect sperm, and variable fresh and frozen-thawed sperm quality. Thus, our objectives were to (i) relate male body measurements, sex steroid hormones, and sperm quality parameters to hatching success and industry-relevant offspring performance traits, and (ii) examine parental contributions to larval development and survival when using cryopreserved sperm. Our results showed that bigger males typically produced bigger offspring, with higher survival at 40 days post hatch. Sperm kinematics, i.e. the study of sperm movement, and other sperm quality traits also correlated to offspring performance and hatch success. Significant maternal and paternal effects were also detected for hatching success. Together, these results reveal that sperm kinematics can be used as a predictor of hatching success for hybrid catfish and that both maternal and paternal effects are important factors influencing early offspring performance. Catfish breeding operations should consider these male factors so that the best breeders can be selected for reproduction.

Technical Abstract: As the largest aquaculture industry in the U.S., catfish farming accounts for ~60 % of total U.S. finfish aquaculture production, in which the channel catfish female by blue catfish male hybrid constitutes most of the harvest. Issues persist with the male blue catfish due to late sexual maturity, lethal procedure needed to collect sperm, and variable fresh and frozen-thawed sperm quality. Thus, our objectives were to (i) relate male body measurements, sex steroid hormones, and sperm quality parameters to hatching success and industry-relevant offspring performance traits, and (ii) examine parental contributions to larval morphological development and survival using cryopreserved sperm. Sperm samples were collected from 44 males. Testes were dissected, weighed, and sperm extracted. Sperm kinematics and health indices were then quantified after cryo-storage. Cryopreserved sperm were thawed, then Males 1-15 were used to fertilize Female 1, Males 16-30 were used to fertilize Female 2, and Males 31-44 were used to fertilize Female 3, creating 44 families. Hatching success was quantified and larvae reared in triplicate (n = 50/tank) from each family. Survival, weights, and morphometrics were collected from 0-40 days post-hatch (DPH). Bigger males typically produced bigger offspring with higher survival at 40 DPH. Sperm quality traits correlated to offspring performance, where sperm with higher lipid peroxidation levels created offspring with lower average weight at 20 DPH and survival. Additionally, sperm kinematic traits were positively correlated to hatch success. Significant maternal and paternal(maternal) effects were detected for hatching success. Maternal effects were also significant at 0, 20, and 40 DPH for most morphometric traits, while paternal effects increased throughout early fry ontogeny. Together, these results reveal that sperm kinematics can be used as a predictor of hatching success for hybrid catfish and clearly both maternal and paternal effects are important factors influencing early offspring performance. Therefore, future studies and farm operations should consider the “male” factor so that the best breeders can be selected for reproduction.