Basic physico-chemical parameters of milt from sea trout (Salmo trutta m. trutta), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The aim of the study was to compare the physico-chemical parameters of milt from sea trout (Salmo trutta m. trutta), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Milt was collected by stripping and spermatozoa concentrations, were determined and compared with sperm motility and spermatocrit values along with seminal plasma indices (pH, osmolality, sodium, potassium, chlorine, calcium, magnesium, glucose and protein concentrations). The highest spermatozoa concentration of 22.3 +/- 6.7 x 10(9) ml(-1) was found in the sea trout milt, and was significantly different of those observed in brook trout (11.9 +/- 3.3 x 10(9) ml(-1)) and rainbow trout (10.7 +/- 4.4 x 10(9) ml(-1)). The values for pH and K+ did not differ significantly among species. The mean pH was 8.0 in the milt of each species and the K+ concentrations fanged from 24.8 +/- 7.2 to 30.5 +/- 7.6 mM L-1. Considerable differences were determined for the Ca2+ ions concentrations. The highest value was found in sea trout (1.7 +/- 0.3 mM L-1), while in the rainbow trout it was 0.7 +/- 0.5 and in the brook trout 0.4 +/- 0.1 mM L-1. The most pronounced differences were found in the glucose concentration cause of its unnaturally low concentration in rainbow trout of the mean value of 6.0 +/- 15.2 mg L-1. The mean value in sea trout and brook trout was 185.0 +/- 172.4 and 231.2 +/- 148.4 mg L-1 respectively. For all species, protein mean values were below 1.3 g L-1. The mean osmolality was between 230.6 +/- 98.6 and 272.0 +/- 26.4 mOsm kg(-1) in the species studied. No correlation was found between any components determined in milt and the spermatozoa motility (P > 0.05). The sperm concentration was positively correlated with the protein content in the milt of the three species studied, other less exhibited correlation was found.