Induction of Primary Male in Juvenile Red Spotted Grouper Epinephelus akaara by Immersion of -Methyltestosterone

We investigated the androgenic effects of $17{\alpha}$-methyltestosterone (MT) on gonadal sex reversal in juvenile red spotted grouper Epinephelus akaara. The fish were immersed in $17{\alpha}$-MT at 1 and 5 mg/L. Treatment method of $17{\alpha}$-MT was once weekly for 4 and 8 weeks. Fish were sampled at 12 months after end of the treatment period in order to histological analysis. At the initiation of an experiment (70 day after hatching), juvenile red spotted grouper have the paired primordial gonads with somatic cells bellow kidney in the posterior portion of the body cavity. Formation of ovarian cavity indicates that the ovarian differentiation beginning at 70 DAH in red spotted grouper. At 12 months after end of the treatment period, control group, $17{\alpha}$-MT 1 mg/L treatment group for 4 and 8 weeks, and $17{\alpha}$-MT 5 mg/L treatment group for 4 weeks were all female. However, sex-changed males without ovarian cavity were observed in the $17{\alpha}$-MT 5 mg/L treatment group for 8 weeks. In grouper, we firstly reported that the red spotted grouper be able to induce the primary males by hormone treatment prior to gonadal sex differentiation.