Abstract
Mastering techniques for conducting the controlled reproduction of a given fish species, the procedures for performing hormonal stimulation, and the choice of the appropriate hormonal preparation and dosage all have a significant impact on the effectiveness of spawning, and, in turn, on the quantity of stocking material produced. This paper presents reproduction techniques for pikeperch, one of the most economically valuable species of freshwater European fish. The methods discussed include cage spawning, the artificial reproduction of wild fish (obtained from the natural environment), and out-of-season spawning. The principles of stimulating spawning with either photothermal or hormonal methods are also described. It is demonstrated that using in vivo methods for determining the maturation stage of oocytes and hormonal stimulation (especially in less mature females) permits increasing cage and artificial spawning of wild fish. Among the hormones and hormonal preparations tested to date in the artificial spawning of pikeperch (gonadotropins (GtH), gonadoliberins (GnRH), and synthetic analogues (GnRHa)), the most effective have been carp pituitary extract (CPE) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This paper also presents the most recent techniques used in the production of pikeperch stocking material.