The Use of 17 α-methyltestosterone for Promoting Weight Increases in Juvenile Pacific Salmon

Abstract
The effect of 17 α-methyltestosterone feeding on the weight of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and on the weight, length, and condition factor of juvenile chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) was determined. Significant increases in weight and length but not in condition factor were noted at all levels of steroid tested. Coho fed rations containing 10 mg/kg of the steroid for 42 days showed a 29% net weight gain and chinooks fed 1 mg/kg of the hormone for 84 days exhibited a 17% net weight gain over the respective control groups.A marked thickening of the skin was noted in the coho retained on diets containing 10 and 50 mg/kg of the steroid. This alteration was most evident in those fish fed the highest concentrations of hormone for the longest period.In the coho, diets containing 10 or 50 mg/kg of the hormone evoked marked degenerative changes in the testes. Less drastic alterations were noted in the testes of the chinooks retained on the 1 mg/kg test ration for 84 days. No apparent structural changes were noted in the ovary of any of the test fish.