Abstract :
[en] Sperm quality directly affects reproductive success and population sustainability in native North African freshwater fish species such as Luciobarbus callensis, yet age-related effects remain underexplored under natural conditions. This study aimed to examine how fish age influences sperm quality parameters to identify optimal reproductive ages for conservation
and aquaculture strategies in North African river systems. Sperm samples from L. callensis were examined microscopically for sperm volume (SV), sperm motility duration (SMD), and sperm concentration (SC), and analyzed with the Sperm Class Analyzer (SCA) for velocity straight line (VSL), velocity average path (VAP), velocity curvilinear (VCL), beat cross fre-
quency (BCF), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH), straightness (STR), linearity (LIN), and wobble (WOB). Fish age was determined by counting translucent zones on sagittal otoliths examined under SEM (left and right otoliths), follow-ing a standard protocol in which each opaque-translucent pair represents one year (+), with an additional 0–8 months. Peaks
in SMD, SC, VSL, VAP, BCF, STR, LIN and WOB occurred at age 2+ years, with values of 53.28 ± 0.82 s, (9.49 ± 0.06) × 10⁹ spz/mL, 19.17 ± 1.41 μm/s, 27.32 ± 1.48 μm/s, 7.65 ± 0.24 Hz, 0.63 ± 0.021%, 0.52 ± 0.022%, and 0.77 ± 0.01%, respec-tively. Sperm volume peaked at 4+ years (1360.45 ± 5.35 μL), whereas VCL and ALH reached maximum values at 3+ years
(34.36 ± 0.75 μm/s; 1.20 ± 0.027 μm). SV and ALH exhibited an inverse relationship with BCF, while a positive correlation between age and SV was observed (r = 0.40), indicating that SV increased with age. Sperm quality in Luciobarbus callensis is defined by specific sperm parameters, but is also significantly influenced by fish age.
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