Overview of Hormonal Substances Used in Fish Reproduction

The process of fish breeding is extensively applied in fish farms and it is influenced by either environmental factors (in case of natural reproduction) and by the use of exogenous hormones (in case of artificial reproduction). Reproducing some species under controlled conditions without hormonal preparations is not possible. Many hormonal agents have been previously described in the scientific literature as beneficial in the fish breeding process. The effectiveness of these agents varies. This paper reviews some of the basic hormonal substances and describes the results of artificial reproduction. The most frequently encountered substances that give the best results are: Carp pituitary homogenate (CPH), Ovopel and Ovaprim. It can be concluded that in order to ensure the success of reproduction, the doses applied are particularly important, as well as the way of administration of the agent.