Genotyping, pedigree reconstruction and endocrinological characterization of Acipenser naccarii (Bonaparte, 1836) using microsatellite markers and plasma steroid levels

This study aimed to set up a method for the long-term management of Adriatic sturgeon, through the analysis of sex steroids and the genetic profiling of individuals in order to maximize the already reduced genetic variability of this species. Ten A. naccarii adults (nine of captive origin, one captured in the Ticino river and then moved into captivity) and eight subadults located in a semi-natural land-locked pond in Abbiategrasso (Milan, Italy) were analysed. Plasma testosterone differed significantly in the eight analysed subadults allowing their differentiation into two groups: the first group with an average testosterone concentration of 5.42 ± 1.31 ng/ml (probably female) and the second group with an average of 423.14 ± 75.97 ng/ml (probably male), as subsequently confirmed by artificial stripping. The plasma testosterone level was also significantly different between adult males and females (371.37 ± 43.58 vs. 95.34 ± 51.10 ng/ml), while the E2 levels showed no significant differences. Animals were genotyped on the basis of 10 microsatellite loci and their parental relationships were defined: four adults, two females and two males, generated the eight subadults. On the basis of pedigree analyses and genetic distances, 15 unrelated couples were identified for the future breeding seasons. Finally, the adult female captured in the Ticino River showed an interesting genetic profile, widely different from all of the other 17 specimens analysed, and represents a valuable source of genetic diversity