Abstract
Triploid induction is used to influence population numbers of Salvelinus fontinalis (Brook trout) in New York State rivers and lakes, making the fish grow bigger and faster during fishing season. The triploid state is induced when the polar body is forced to stay in the egg during fertilization, changing from a diploid (two) into triploid (three) chromosomes. Methods of triploid induction are either by heat or pressure shock. Triploidy is assessed by karyotyping red blood cell DNA, and by the morphology of adult fish, including size, colors, and spotting. This is a time-consuming process which does not verify the efficiency of the induction methods. The purpose of this research is to confirm the triploid state at the embryonic/fry stage of the fish life cycle using molecular tools.
