Russian Federal
Research Institute Of Fisheries
and Oceanography
24 April 2026

Collection and cryopreservation of the genetic material of the Azov beluga

As part of the applied work, from April 12 to April 19, specialists of the freshwater fisheries branch of the National Research Center of the Russian Federation "All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography" (VNIRO), with the assistance of specialists from the Don Sturgeon Plant of the Federal State Budgetary Institution Glavrybvod, carried out joint work to replenish the low-temperature fish sperm bank with sturgeon sperm samples contained in the live collection of the Don Sturgeon the factory.
 
For this purpose, sperm is taken from fish producers with previously known genetic characteristics, which is placed in the collection of a low-temperature bank, which will allow for the rapid selection of optimal genetic material in the future to eliminate inbreeding. In 2026, the cryobank collection was replenished with sperm samples from the Azov beluga (Huso huso maeoticus).
 
As part of the ongoing work, it is also planned to genotype samples of sturgeon genetic material from the cryobank of the branch and the living collection of the Donskoy ARI, to determine the coefficients of genetic kinship and plan work on the reconstruction of the gene pool of sturgeon fish using cryopreserved genetic material.  
 
VNIRO Press Service
Collection and cryopreservation of the genetic material of the Azov beluga