Sturgeons have very high potential to become an important and profitable aquaculture species in the US, as males are grown for meat and brood stock and female sturgeon are primarily raised for their eggs (caviar). In fact, sturgeon caviar is the highest-valued aquaculture product worldwide, selling for $104 - $250 per 50 grams (depending on the quality). One 60 kg adult female can produce approximately $30,000 worth of caviar. In order to maximize profits for sturgeon aquaculture, it is essential that males 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 the sex of sturgeon at the earliest age possible (>16 months of age). Our working hypothesis is as follows: male and female sturgeon, during development and sexual maturation, will display differences in gene expression in various tissues. We will use several powerful molecular tools in order to identify differentially regulated genes in easily-obtained tissue samples. Once identified, these differentially regulated genes (biomarkers) will serve as an effective screening tool to distinguish male and female sturgeon at an early age. If this approach proves to be successful we can expand research and development to other important aquaculture species.
