Lates calcarifer Transcriptome or Gene expression
This project aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying temperature-induced sex change in Lates calcarifer (barramundi), a protandrous hermaphrodite fish of commercial importance. Juvenile males were exposed to four temperature regimes for 12 months to determine how environmental temperature influences gonadal development beyond the primary sex differentiation period. To explore the regulatory basis of phenotypic sex change, we performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) on gonadal tissue to identify changes in DNA methylation and gene expression. The findings have implications for understanding environmentally responsive sex determination and for developing sustainable, non-hormonal strategies for sex control in aquaculture.