Hormonal manipulation for enhanced spawning in aquaculture: advances, challenges, and future horizons

Global food security is increasingly threatened by population growth, climate change, and declining wild fish stocks, positioning aquaculture as a critical solution to meet rising fish demand. Effective breeding in captive fish is hindered by reproductive dysfunctions, such as incomplete oocyte maturation and insufficient sperm production, due to absent natural environmental cues. Induced breeding through hormonal manipulation, targeting the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs (GnRHa) and recombinant gonadotropins, has significantly improved spawning outcomes in species. Emerging technologies, including CRISPR-Cas9, artificial intelligence, and multiomics profiling, offer precision and sustainability in reproductive management. However, challenges persist, including species-specific responses, scalability, environmental risks from hormone effluents, and ethical concerns. This paper proposes a precision endocrinology framework integrating omics, automation practices to optimize reproductive efficiency and ensure sustainable aquaculture growth addressing food security while minimizing environmental impact.