Post-thaw storage of sperm as a tool towards revealing paternal-effect-associated genes in Eurasian perch, Perca fluviatilis

This study shows that even a brief, 30-minute PTS not only reduces sperm motility but also imprints lasting effects on progeny performance and survival. By selectively shaping the pool of functional sperm, PTS acts as an additional layer of selection, enriching for cells with specific traits and offering a powerful, controlled system for studying non-genetic inheritance factors and identifying PEAGs in fish. Transcriptomic analysis uncovered a deeper dimension to this process, revealing that maternal identity can amplify or buffer paternal contributions which serves as evidence of a complex parental interplay that influences early development. In effect, this study provides a robust experimental model based on controlled, paired fertilization design together with transcriptomic profiling of the offspring to identify novel PEAGs and reveal molecular consequences of paternal variation induced by post-thaw storage.