Determination of the Sex of Juvenile Sturgeon Using a Molecular Based Diagnostic.

Sturgeons have very high potential to become an important and profitable aquaculture species in the US, as males are grownfor meat and brood stock and female sturgeon are primarily raised for their eggs (caviar). In fact, sturgeon caviar is the highestvaluedaquaculture product worldwide, selling for $104 - $250 per 50 grams (depending on the quality). One 60 kg adult femalecan produce approximately $30,000 worth of caviar. In order to maximize profits for sturgeon aquaculture, it is essential thatmales are removed from the tanks as early as possible, leaving only females that must be fed and reared for 6 years or more --until maturation and egg-production/harvest.The long-term goal of this project is to develop a minimally invasive, cost-effective, reliable molecular diagnostic to detect thesex of sturgeon at the earliest age possible (< 12 months of age). Our working hypothesis is as follows: male and femalesturgeon, during development and sexual maturation, will display differences in gene expression in various tissues. We will useseveral powerful molecular tools in order to identify differentially regulated genes in easily-obtained tissue samples. Onceidentified, these differentially regulated genes (biomarkers) will serve as an effective screening tool to distinguish male andfemale sturgeon at an early age. If this approach proves to be successful we can expand research and development to otherimportant aquaculture species.