Annual variation of sex steroid hormones in female Barbus sharpeyi

Barbus sharpeyi (Cyprinidae), locally known as benny is one of the most economically and nutritionally valuable fish species of Khuzestan Rivers. Due to the problems of artificial breeding of benny and different responses to induced spawning in different weight, acquiring knowledge of benny reproductive biology and determining the seasonal sex steroid hormones seem necessary. In this study, season samples of Barbus sharpeyi were examined during 4 seasons of 1390 (10 samples each season) in Center for Native Fishes in Khuzestan of Iran. A serum was separated from the blood samples and used for measurement of steroid hormones (T, p, E2) by ELISA method. The results indicated that highest level of steroid hormones was in winter as the levels of T, P, E2 were 20.16±0.738, 3.70±0.788 (ng/mL) and 2025.8±93.56 (pg/mL) respectively. According to the results of this research, it seems that the period of spawning in benny fish is in middle winter synchronize with ovarian development and the aquaculture procedure of this species could be performed in the above mentioned periods.