Temporal dynamics of oocyte development, plasma sex steroids and somatic energy reserves during seasonal ovarian maturation in captive Murray cod Maccullochella peelii peelii

The Argentine hake Merluccius hubbsi is a demersal-pelagic species on which few studies have been undertaken, despite its importance for the fisheries of the South-Southeastern Brazilian region, . The species is the most important commercial fishery resource in Uruguay and Argentina, where several studies have permitted the proper monitoring of the species. The ovarian maturation of the Argentine hake is analysed in this study. A scale of maturation is presented in the light of the oocyte development and the use of macro and microscopic scales of ovarian maturation are compared. It was detected that the oocyte types and derived structures present in the ovaries are similar to those already described both for the species and for teleosts in general; group synchronous development and multiple spawning are typical. The identification of ovarian maturation based only on external morphological characteristics of the gonads presents many errors, mainly in the characterization of the stages of maturation, which makes imperative the parallel analysis of the oocyte development, undertaken through histological ovarian cross-sections.

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Energetic consequences of reproduction in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in relation to spawning level of somatic energy reserves

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f00-022 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 57 (4) ◽

pp. 815-825 ◽

Cited By ~ 151

Author(s):

Yvan Lambert ◽

Jean-Denis Dutil

Keyword(s):

Gadus Morhua ◽

Atlantic Cod ◽

Good Condition ◽

Reproductive Potential ◽

Reproductive Investment ◽

Energy Losses ◽

Commercial Fishing ◽

Energy Reserves ◽

Poor Condition ◽

Somatic Energy

The influence of a lower condition on reproductive investment, somatic energy losses, and postspawning condition of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) was examined under the hypothesis that females, in response to lower available energy reserves, would reduce reproductive investment in order to limit somatic energy losses. Laboratory experiments revealed that female cod with high prespawning condition factors ended reproduction in better condition than females with low prespawning condition factors. Fecundity and total egg dry weight were significantly lower in poor-condition females. The loss in somatic mass and energy in these poor-condition females was nevertheless higher, in relative terms, than the losses experienced by females in good condition. Consequently, energy reserves invested in reproduction by poor-condition females increase their risk of mortality. In the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence during the early 1990s, reproductive females had lower fecundities and were in worse prespawning and postspawning condition. The condition of spent females suggested a greater impact of changes in environmental conditions on adult than on immature cod. Reproductive potential and possibly recruitment may have suffered from that situation and could have contributed to the failure of that stock to recover despite the moratorium on commercial fishing.

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Influence of growth history on the accumulation of energy reserves and winter mortality in young fish

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f08-115 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 65 (10) ◽

pp. 2149-2156 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Magnus Huss ◽

Pär Byström ◽

Åsa Strand ◽

Lars-Ove Eriksson ◽

Lennart Persson

Keyword(s):

Growth Rates ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Perca Fluviatilis ◽

High Growth ◽

Winter Mortality ◽

Energy Reserves ◽

Overwinter Survival ◽

Growth History ◽

Resource Levels ◽

Average Size

In seasonal environments, accumulated energy reserves are important to avoid starvation mortality during periods of low resource levels. Here we investigated patterns of energy accumulation and the importance of growth history for winter survival in young-of-the-year Eurasian perch ( Perca fluviatilis ). Under simulated winter conditions in aquaria, we showed that high winter mortality most likely relates to the depletion of energy reserves in small perch. Correspondingly, in a field study, using four lakes covering 3–6 lake-years each, overwinter survival within cohorts was positively related to individual size. However, average size in autumn did not explain the variation in overwinter survival between cohorts. Instead, we showed that seasonal growth history is an important factor. High growth rates late in season may increase cohort survival over winter, irrespective of average size, related to a positive growth-dependent increase in allocation to energy reserves when approaching winter. Mechanisms regulating within-season temporal dynamics of growth rates are therefore suggested to be important for overall cohort performance.

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Failure to relate thyroid hormones and in vitro 5′-monodeiodination activity to oocyte development and sex steroids in the giant swamp frog Dicroglossus occipitalis at the equator

General and Comparative Endocrinology ◽

10.1016/0016-6480(90)90077-y ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 79 (3) ◽

pp. 469-476 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

G. Vandorpe ◽

E.R. Kühn ◽

H. Gevaerts

Keyword(s):

Thyroid Hormones ◽

Sex Steroids ◽

Oocyte Development

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Ovary maturation stages and oocyte features in three species of the neotropical fish Hemiodus (Müller, 1842)

Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology ◽

10.1590/s1516-89132003000300015 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 46 (3) ◽

pp. 433-441 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Claudia Angelica da Silva Brandão ◽

Maria de Fátima Moraes Valentim ◽

Érica Pellegrini Caramaschi

Keyword(s):

Microscopic Analysis ◽

Oocyte Development ◽

Ovarian Maturation ◽

Neotropical Fish ◽

Zona Radiata ◽

Large Size ◽

Maturation Stages ◽

Ovary Maturation

Macro- and microscopic ovarian features of Hemiodus microlepis, H. ternetzi and H. unimaculatus were analyzed. Based on these features we proposed an ovarian maturation scale. The nine stages of the preliminary macroscopic fieldwork scale were reduced to five after microscopic analysis of ovaries. The microscopic analysis indicated a group-synchronous oocyte development common to the three species that were characterized as iteroparous synchronous spawners with a total spawning type. The remarkable thickness of the zona radiata layer and the large size of vitellogenic oocytes of Hemiodus ternetzi distinguished this species from the others.

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Ovarian development in female armyworm moths, Pseudaletia unipuncta: its relationship with pheromone release activities

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z89-196 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 67 (6) ◽

pp. 1380-1385 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Michel Cusson ◽

Jeremy N. McNeil

Keyword(s):

Developmental Stage ◽

Temporal Relationship ◽

Ovarian Development ◽

Oocyte Development ◽

Ovarian Maturation ◽

Pseudaletia Unipuncta ◽

Pheromone Release ◽

Pheromone Titer ◽

First Time ◽

Lepidoptera Noctuidae

Following a chronological evaluation of ovarian maturation in virgin females, the temporal relationship between oocyte development and the initiation of calling in Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haw.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was investigated. One hundred and sixty females were observed daily during the last 2 h of the scotophase for a period of 2–8 days after emergence. Every day, females that called for the first time were sacrificed at lights-on for pheromone titer analysis and oocyte measurements and egg counts. Concurrently, noncallers of the same age were randomly selected and submitted to the same analyses. Although some females started calling and synthesizing pheromone before their oocytes reached maturity (0.59 mm in width), none with basal oocytes smaller than 0.33 mm in width (N = 17) called and only three had detectable pheromone titers (ca. 2 ng). First-time callers on days 2–5 after emergence had greater (i) numbers of mature eggs, (ii) basal oocyte widths, and (iii) pheromone titers than noncallers of the same age, although differences were not always statistically significant. Ovaries of females that initiated calling on days 3–5 were at a similar developmental stage, but were significantly more mature than those of females calling for the first time on day 2.

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Ovarian development and lipid reserves are affected by mating delays in three species of Anthocoris (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae)

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/n04-053 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 137 (3) ◽

pp. 328-336 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

David R. Horton ◽

Tamera M. Lewis ◽

Lisa G. Neven

Keyword(s):

Ovarian Development ◽

Oocyte Development ◽

Ovarian Maturation ◽

Allocation Of Resources ◽

Female Age ◽

Trade Off ◽

Preoviposition Period ◽

Development Duration

AbstractMating is necessary to bring about ovarian maturation in females of Anthocoridae and related taxa (Cimicidae). The objectives of this study were to determine how forced delays in mating affect extent and rate of oocyte development, duration of the preoviposition period, and levels of lipid reserves in three species of Anthocoris. Extent of oocyte development by unmated females differed among the three species. In unmated A. tomentosus, the basal oocyte failed to show any increase in size with increasing female age, whereas oocytes in unmated A. nemoralis and A. whitei exhibited some growth beginning 2 days after eclosion. One consequence of these differences among species is that a forced delay in mating (of 3 or 10 days) had less of an effect on A. whitei and A. nemoralis than on A. tomentosus, in terms of the length of the preoviposition period measured from the time of mating. Mated females of A. nemoralis and A. whitei grew larger oocytes than unmated females within 2 days of mating, whereas the same phenomenon took 4 days in A. tomentosus. Embryos became visible in the eggs of mated A. nemoralis and A. whitei 2–3 days after mating, compared with 5 days after mating for A. tomentosus. Mature eggs with egg caps were visible within 3, 4, and 6 days after mating for A. nemoralis, A. whitei, and A. tomentosus, respectively. In all three species, unmated females 10 days after eclosion had significantly higher levels of lipids allocated to nonreproductive tissues than similarly aged females that had been mated on the day of eclosion, suggesting that there was a trade-off between allocation of resources to eggs and allocation to somatic reserves.

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