Effetti del leuprolide acetato sulla biologia riproduttiva dell'orata, Sparus aurata (Linneo, 1758).

The gilthead sea bream is a proterandric species that is greatly used in aquaculture. As with most fish reared in captivity, difficulties are encountered in spontaneous reproduction as well as in adequate sex inversion. To obtain further knowledge to improve the rearing of this species, we observed the influence of leuprolide acetate, a synthetic agonist of gonadotropin hormone-release hormone (GnRH), on the reproduction biology of the gilthead sea bream. In particular, we observed the effects of the periodic administration of a long-acting leuprolide acetate on sex reversal and oogenesis of this species reared in controlled conditions. Leuprolide acetate neither stimulated nor inhibited sex inversion, though it anticipated the oocyte maturation and allowed synchrony spawning in all treated females.