Cytogenetic and fishery properties of hybrids between the crucian carp and the common carp: an application of genetic methods in treatment of distant hybrids

• Published in: Aquaculture 1995, Vol.129 (1), p.217-218
• Main Authors: Cherfas, N.B., Emelyanova, O.V., Recoubratsky, A.V., Gomelsky, B.I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carassius auratus; Cyprinus carpio
• ISSN: 0044-8486; 1873-5622
• DOI: 10.1016/0044-8486(95)91965-X

The results of a long-term study of hybrids between crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelia) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are considered. Fertile females among the F sub(1) hybrids were detected. Four successive gynogenetic generations of hybrids were produced. The yield of diploid gynogenetic larvae was about 50-70% in each generation, sometimes exceeding 90%. The yield of gynogenetic larvae was connected with the rate of fraction of large diploid oocytes. These oocytes experienced a morphologically normal meiosis, but due to presynaptic endoreduplication have the diploid chromosome set. A transplantation test and the electrophoretic analysis of proteins confirmed the genetic uniformity of all the individuals in one progeny. The induced gynogenesis in distant hybrids is essentially different from that in pure fish species and similar to the natural gynogenesis observed in fish and other vertebrates. The backcross hybrids from crossing the F sub(1) females or their gynogenetic daughters with common carp and crucian carp males were triploids; they have two parental genomes in each case. Almost all the F sub(1) hybrids were sterile, but some females with two crucian carp genomes were partially fertile. Triploid and tetraploid (amphidiploid) progenies from these triploid females were produced in experiments with gynogenesis and crossing. All these data support the hypothesis of the hybrid origin of natural gynogenesis. Due to their valuable properties inherited from parental species triploid hybrids are of great practical interest for fishery management. Hybrids with two genomes of the common carp are suited for pond culture and those with two genomes of the crucian carp are suited for rearing in natural reservoirs.