Artificial rearing conditions that limit exposure to natural spawning environments can disrupt gonadotropin secretion, impairing both spawning and spermiation. To address reproductive limitations in captivity, artificial induction methods are commonly implemented. Currently, sturgeon hatcheries predominantly use synthetic gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues, most being imported. To address the demands of the national aquaculture sector, three analogues of gonadotropin-releasing hormone were synthesized. After obtaining high purity of peptides by analytical HPLC and confirming their identity by mass spectrometry, the in vivo biological evaluation of the peptides was performed to compare its performance with commonly available commercial hormone. The study results on Sterlet sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus) broodstocks indicated that the two synthetic analogues effectively enhanced the reproductive response to hormone therapy in both male and female Siberian sturgeon. Hence, they can be recommended as effective agents for the artificial reproduction of Sterlet sturgeon in Iran.
 

Siberian sturgeon, spawning, hormone therapy, reproductive performance