Does temperature affect sex ratio in zebrafish (Danio rerio)?

Abstract

The experimental design and the execution of the study was carried out in the ZAE (Experimental Aquarium and Chamber Facility) of the Sciences Marine Institute of Barcelona (ICM), where in the student collaborated to complete anexperiment carried out in the Biology Reproduction Group (GBR) during the summer period, starting at the end of June until early September 2016. The experimental study carried out in zebrafish(Danio rerio)aimed to analyzeand compare thesurvival, growth andsex ratiodifferences between two thermal treatments. Fish were subjected either at 28ºC (low temperature, LT) or at 36ºC (high temperature, HT), during the period of 18 to 32 days postfertilization (dpf). The student provided support to assess the thermosensitive period studies of eight pairs, and she also contributed in the sampling of one pair (pair A) at 90 dpf. The results showed that the survival and growth rates were similar in the two groups of temperature for all eight pairsanalyzed. Sex ratio results showed that the tanks in HT of the pairA showed a high significant rate of masculinization (100%) (P<0.01). It is expected that the HT regime during the gonad differentiation period will likely generate a significant masculinization in the zebrafish population once fish became adult. Moreover, the student concludes that the period spent at ICM has been very useful to be familiar with experimental research in Biology