Motility of spermatozoa from shovelnose sturgeon and paddlefish

Abstract

The spermatozoa in the seminal plasma from shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus and paddlefish Polyodon spathula were immotile with only a few spontaneously motile spermatozoa for 5‐10 and 10‐20 s, respectively. Spermatozoa of shovelnose sturgeon were observed to be 100% motile immediately after sperm dilution in 10 m m NaCl and 20 m m Tris‐HCl, pH 8.5. The duration of mass progressive movement was 2‐3 min; and 1 to 5% of spermatozoa remain active after 360 s (P<0.01). Spermatozoa of paddlefish demonstrated the best motility 10 s after dilution in 10 m m NaCl with 20 m m Tris‐HCl, pH 8.5. The duration of mass progressive movement was 2‐3 min and 1 to 5% of spermatozoa remained active after 370 s ( p <0.01). The spermatozoa of shovelnose sturgeon and paddlefish were motile in a range of osmotic pressure from 0 to 100 mosmol kg −1 and 0 to 120 mosmol kg −1 , respectively. The best results with short‐term storage of sperm from shovelnose sturgeon and paddlefish were observed in 100 m m glucose + 20 m m Tris‐HCl, pH 8.5 and 150 m m glucose + 20 m m Tris‐HCl, pH 8.5.