Conservation of teleost fishes: Application of reproductive technologies

Fishes are by far the most species-rich group of vertebrates, with 36,105 species currently recognised, approximately the same number of species as that of all non-fish vertebrates combined. Recent decades have witnessed dramatic population declines for many fish species, together with a loss in ove...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ian Mayer, Martin Pšenička
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-01-01
Series:Theriogenology Wild
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773093X24000096
_version_ 1797268916127399936
author Ian Mayer
Martin Pšenička
author_facet Ian Mayer
Martin Pšenička
author_sort Ian Mayer
collection DOAJ
description Fishes are by far the most species-rich group of vertebrates, with 36,105 species currently recognised, approximately the same number of species as that of all non-fish vertebrates combined. Recent decades have witnessed dramatic population declines for many fish species, together with a loss in overall fish biodiversity. Globally, fish biodiversity is being threatened by a multitude of anthropogenic impacts including overfishing, habitat loss, pollution, aquaculture, loss of river connectivity, climate change and the impact of alien species. Nowhere is the world’s biodiversity crisis more acute than in freshwater ecosystems. While rivers, lakes and wetlands cover less than 1% of the planet’s total surface, they are home to over half the world´s fish species. One third of freshwater fishes are now threatened with extinction, and 80 species are already extinct. This review covers the main drivers of declining fish biodiversity, and details remedial strategies aimed at conserving both marine and freshwater fish biodiversity. The preservation of genetic resources through the cryobanking of reproductive cells and tissues, collectively known as germplasm, will be a valuable tool in the conservation of fish biodiversity. With the help of a range of emerging reproductive technologies, frozen germplasm will play a key role in future in situ and ex situ conservation initiatives. The ability to establish cryo-banks for the full range of fish germplasm, including sperm, oocytes, embryos and germ cells represents a powerful tool for use in the conservation of threatened fish species. The rapid advance in next-generation sequencing technologies, together with the proliferation of resources such as fully sequenced fish genomes is expected to result in a rapid expansion in the application of conservation genomics to the conservation and management of fish populations, and be instrumental in formulating mitigations directed at conserving fish biodiversity, through both in situ and ex situ conservation initiatives.
first_indexed 2024-04-25T01:40:04Z
format Article
id doaj.art-81642e6268f14b31b8eb97d7341c5b2f
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2773-093X
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-25T01:40:04Z
publishDate 2024-01-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Theriogenology Wild
spelling doaj.art-81642e6268f14b31b8eb97d7341c5b2f2024-03-08T05:20:02ZengElsevierTheriogenology Wild2773-093X2024-01-014100078Conservation of teleost fishes: Application of reproductive technologiesIan Mayer0Martin Pšenička1Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway; Corresponding author.The University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Vodnany, Czech RepublicFishes are by far the most species-rich group of vertebrates, with 36,105 species currently recognised, approximately the same number of species as that of all non-fish vertebrates combined. Recent decades have witnessed dramatic population declines for many fish species, together with a loss in overall fish biodiversity. Globally, fish biodiversity is being threatened by a multitude of anthropogenic impacts including overfishing, habitat loss, pollution, aquaculture, loss of river connectivity, climate change and the impact of alien species. Nowhere is the world’s biodiversity crisis more acute than in freshwater ecosystems. While rivers, lakes and wetlands cover less than 1% of the planet’s total surface, they are home to over half the world´s fish species. One third of freshwater fishes are now threatened with extinction, and 80 species are already extinct. This review covers the main drivers of declining fish biodiversity, and details remedial strategies aimed at conserving both marine and freshwater fish biodiversity. The preservation of genetic resources through the cryobanking of reproductive cells and tissues, collectively known as germplasm, will be a valuable tool in the conservation of fish biodiversity. With the help of a range of emerging reproductive technologies, frozen germplasm will play a key role in future in situ and ex situ conservation initiatives. The ability to establish cryo-banks for the full range of fish germplasm, including sperm, oocytes, embryos and germ cells represents a powerful tool for use in the conservation of threatened fish species. The rapid advance in next-generation sequencing technologies, together with the proliferation of resources such as fully sequenced fish genomes is expected to result in a rapid expansion in the application of conservation genomics to the conservation and management of fish populations, and be instrumental in formulating mitigations directed at conserving fish biodiversity, through both in situ and ex situ conservation initiatives.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773093X24000096Fish biodiversityAnthropogenic threatsIn situ and ex situ conservationReproductive technologiesConservation genomics
spellingShingle Ian Mayer
Martin Pšenička
Conservation of teleost fishes: Application of reproductive technologies
Theriogenology Wild
Fish biodiversity
Anthropogenic threats
In situ and ex situ conservation
Reproductive technologies
Conservation genomics
title Conservation of teleost fishes: Application of reproductive technologies
title_full Conservation of teleost fishes: Application of reproductive technologies
title_fullStr Conservation of teleost fishes: Application of reproductive technologies
title_full_unstemmed Conservation of teleost fishes: Application of reproductive technologies
title_short Conservation of teleost fishes: Application of reproductive technologies
title_sort conservation of teleost fishes application of reproductive technologies
topic Fish biodiversity
Anthropogenic threats
In situ and ex situ conservation
Reproductive technologies
Conservation genomics
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773093X24000096
work_keys_str_mv AT ianmayer conservationofteleostfishesapplicationofreproductivetechnologies
AT martinpsenicka conservationofteleostfishesapplicationofreproductivetechnologies