The effects of laserpuncture on gonadal maturity and sperm quality of male striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus)

Laserpuncture is one of the applicative technologies used mainly in animal and fish reproductions. Laserpuncture technology has been used to improve gonadal maturity and sperm quality in fish rapidly. This study aimed to determine the effects of different laserpuncture doses on gonadal maturity and sperm quality of male striped catfish. Males striped catfish (800–900 g/fish body weight) and I gonadal maturity stage were used. Semi-conductor soft laser was used with doses of 0.2-, 0.4-, and 0.5-J, while the negative control (without the laserpuncture and the ovaprim™) and only the ovaprim™ were used as a comparison treatment, respectively. The soft-laser was treated on reproductive acupoint every week for four weeks, while the ovaprim™ was administered by intramuscular injection at dose of 0.2 mL/kg fish in final rearing period. Fish was reared in hapa at the controlled pond. Fish was fed with a commercial feed containing 32% crude protein. Gonadal maturity, gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI), and sperm quality of male striped catfish were measured in the final rearing period. The results showed that the laserpuncture on the reproductive acupoint had a highly significant effect (P < 0.01) on the gonadal maturity, GSI, HSI, and sperm quality of male striped catfish. In terms of the gonadal maturity, laserpuncture doses treatment of 0.4 and 0.5-J gave the most mature IV stage. While the highest levels of GSI and HSI were found in 0.5-J of laserpuncture dose, which was 2.17% and 1.54%, respectively. In addition, the best sperm qualities were observed in 0.5-J of laserpuncture dose, which were 81.75% motility, 82.75% viability, and 7.0 × 10⁹ cell/mL concentration. These results suggest that the laserpuncture can accelerate a gonadal maturity and improve sperm quality in male striped catfish.