Abstract:The effects of temperature, salinity and pH on the sperm activity of Verasper variegatus were investigated. The results showed that the optimized water temperature for sperm activity ranged from 8 ℃ to 12℃, salinity ranged from 25 to 35, and the most suitable pH range for sperm activity was 7~8. The present results revealed that the activity of sperm was inhibited by high temperature(above 20℃) and low-salinity (<15). Under appropriate environmental conditions the longest eddying time for the spermatozoa was 7~8min and the longest life span was 12~17min. Artificial fertilization should be done under most optimized environmental conditions in order to obtain high quality fertilized eggs. These findings would serve as a reference for the artificial fertilization of V. variegatus.
