Heat and chemical treatments in adult Cyprinus carpio (Pisces cypriniformes) rapidly produce sterile gonads.

•Adult common carp Cyprinus carpio reared at 38°C water temperature for 10 weeks with 2-week interval injection of cytotoxic drug busulfan (40mg/kg; 5 doses in total) produce sterile gonads.•Adverse effects of drug on the animal health was not observed during the study, even after injecting five doses of 40mg/kg busulfan.•The change of gonads colouration into black appears to be an additional useful index to measure the sterility in teleost fishes.•The treatment protocol for induction of sterility in male and female adult common carp described here will have profound implication for germ cell transplantation in adult fishes.