scholarly journals Reproductive biology of the sesarmid crab Armases rubripes (Decapoda, Brachyura) from an estuarine area of the Sahy River, Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovana V. Lima ◽  
Marcelo R. S. Soares ◽  
Lídia M.Y. Oshiro

The aim of this work was to gain knowledge about reproductive biology of the crab Armases rubripes (Rathbun, 1897) from an estuarine area of the Sepetiba Bay. Samples were taken monthly from February 2003 to January 2004 in the Sahy River estuary (22º56'S; 44º01'W), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The crabs were collected by hand during 15-minute catch-effort sessions conducted by two people. In the laboratory, the specimens were separated by sex, carapace width was measured and gonadal stage was checked macroscopically. A total of 830 individuals were caught - 304 males, 373 females (60 ovigerous females) and 153 juveniles. The ovigerous females were found almost year-round, except in November and April, showing a continuous reproductive period. They presented a size range from 8.2 to 15.0 mm carapace width (12.1 ± 1.7 mm). Color and macroscopical aspects determined five gonadal stages for males and females (immature, rudimentary, intermediary, developed and resting). First sexual maturity was estimated at 6.5 mm of carapace width for males and 8.1 mm for females. Individual fecundity varied from 200 to 11,460 eggs (4,458 ± 2,739 eggs). Mean egg size was 0.248 ± 0.026 mm, varying from 0.213 to 0.333 mm, while the volume ranged from 0.0051 to 0.0188 mm³ (0.0082 ± 0.0029 mm³).

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-82
Author(s):  
J. Otoyo ◽  
S.M. Ameh ◽  
O.K. Achema

Studies on identification of species, fecundity and development stages of blue crab, (Callinectes amnicola) were investigated at the Cross River Estuary between the months of December, 2018 and May, 2019. The parameters used for the study were gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indices, egg diameter and counts. All measurements followed standard procedures. Gonadosomatic index was at its peak in December (88.9) and April (83.3). This coincided with the peak in egg size suggesting that spawning occurred twice within the period.The low values of hepatosomatic index around December (1.20) and April (0.45) added to confirm the spawning in these months. The species spawns at a mean egg size of 17.55mm. The dimension of crabs examined were in the following range: carapace length 40.0 to 70.0mm, carapace width, 5.0 to 60mm and body weight 40.0 to 140.0g. The relationship between fecundity and weight of crab was  significant (r = 0.295: p<0.05), indicating positive correlation. Absolute fecundity of the species ranged between 1,375 and 225,132 eggs. The smallest crab with egg had a carapace width of 39.5mm and weight of 46.9g. Spawning at this size seems to be a strategy adopted by the species to cope with exploitation pressure. The result of this study revealed that C. amnicola had a high reproductive potentials. Hence, adequate regulation is required to enhance sustainability of the species in the Cross River Estuary.


2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco A. Azevedo ◽  
Luiz R. Malabarba ◽  
John R. Burns

The reproductive biology and development of the gill gland are described for Macropsobrycon uruguayanae, an inseminating characid species of the tribe Compsurini, subfamily Cheirodontinae. Between April 2001 and March 2002, 117 males and 143 females of this species were collected in the rio Ibicuí, Uruguay basin in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Reproductively active individuals were present during most months sampled, indicating lack of a well-defined seasonal reproductive period. Several maturing females were found to be inseminated before completing full maturation. Histological analyses demonstrated spermatozoa within the ovaries of females in different stages of gonadal maturation collected during most months. No immature females had inseminated ovaries. Standard length at first gonadal maturation was estimated to be 24 mm for both males and females. Mean absolute fecundity was 191.08 (± 48.83 SD) oocytes per female, one of the lowest among characids. Relative fecundity was 0.539 (± 0.069 SD) oocytes per mg weight of the female, a value similar to that found for the majority of species of Cheirodontinae. The presence of two cohorts of oocytes within ovaries of M. uruguayanae indicates synchronous development, with total spawning. The mean diameter of mature oocytes was 0.6711 (± 0.1252 SD) mm, smaller than that found for the majority of species of Characidae. Gill glands occurred in all mature males, as well as in males undergoing advanced maturation. In the latter case, fewer gill filaments comprised the glands. Gill glands were not observed in immature males, males undergoing the initial stages of maturation, or in any female. A given gill gland may comprise as many as 24 filaments of the lateral hemibranch of the first gill arch. Secondary lamellae within most of the gill gland are greatly reduced, with columnar cells being present between them. These columnar cells contain abundant vesicles, suggesting secretory activity. The morphology of the gill gland of M. uruguayanae resembles that found in the majority of characid species that possess this structure.


Author(s):  
S. Alex Hesp ◽  
Ian C. Potter

The reproductive biology of the tarwhine Rhabdosargus sarba has been studied in three very different environments in Western Australia, namely the lower reaches of the Swan River Estuary and marine waters at the same latitude, i.e. ≈32°S, and a large subtropical marine embayment (Shark Bay) approximately 800 km further north. A macroscopic and histological examination of the gonads demonstrated that R. sarba is typically a rudimentary hermaphrodite in Western Australian waters, i.e. the juveniles develop into either a male or female in which the ovarian and testicular zones of the gonads, respectively, are macroscopically undetectable. This contrasts with the situation in the waters off Hong Kong and South Africa where R. sarba is reported to be a protandrous hermaphrodite. Although R. sarba spawns between mid-late winter and late spring in each water body, the onset of spawning in the estuary is delayed until salinities have risen well above their winter minima. Although males and females attain sexual maturity at very similar lengths in the Swan River Estuary and Shark Bay, i.e. each L50 for first maturity lies between 170 and 177 mm total length (TL), they typically reach maturity at an earlier age in the former environment, i.e. 2 vs 3 years old. During the spawning period, only 25 and 12% of the males and females, respectively, that were caught between 180 and 260 mm TL in nearshore marine waters were mature, whereas 94 and 92% of the males and females, respectively, that were collected in this length-range over reefs, were mature. This indicates that R. sarba tends to move offshore when it has become ‘physiologically’ ready to mature. The L50s at first maturity indicate that the minimum legal length in Western Australia (230 mm TL) is appropriate for managing this species.


1994 ◽  
Vol 45 (7) ◽  
pp. 1181 ◽  
Author(s):  
SH Abdel-Aziz

Solea aegyptiaca in Abu-Kir Bay becomes mature at 18 and 20 cm total length for males and females respectively and within two years of age for both sexes. Spawning occurs in winter (December-February). The sizefrequency distribution of oocytes more than 100 pm in diameter indicates that S. aegyptiaca is a determinate spawner and that an annual potential fecundity can be measured. Low gonadosomatic index and low potential fecundity, low condition factor (K), and histological anomalies of the ovaries of some mature females have been observed during the reproductive period. The presence of pollutants in Abu-Kir Bay sediments resulting from industrial wastes and untreated sewage may be responsible for this alteration in oogenesis and the consequent drop in fecundity.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
José Lucas Alves-Neto ◽  
Arthur Vinícius L. Barbosa ◽  
Munique A. Medeiros ◽  
Evelton A. Casartelli ◽  
Alcides Wagner S. Guarino ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 745-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Augusto B. C. Vieira ◽  
Luiz F. Salvador-Jr. ◽  
Rafael M. C. Melo ◽  
Gilmar B. Santos ◽  
Nilo Bazzoli

To analyze the reproductive biology of the peacock bass Cichla piquiti, 361 specimens were collected bimonthly in the Itumbiara Reservoir, southeast Brazil, from December 2004 to November 2005. Males and females in reproductive activity occurred during almost the entire year, with reproductive peak occurring before the beginning of the rains when the water temperature remained low, indicating that these environmental variables do not directly influence in the reproduction of C. piquiti. The long reproductive period, partially spent ovaries contained postovulatory follicles and oocytes in all developmental stages, indicate asynchronous development of oocytes and multiple spawning. The mean total lengthand body weigth were, respectively, 38.2 ± 7 cm and 965.0 ± 654.0 g for males and 37.4 ± 6.1 cm and 899.0 ± 495.0 g for females, statistically showing no sexual dimorphism in size. The smallest male and female found in advanced maturation stage measured 31.0 cm and 29.0 cm of total length, respectively. The body condition (K) of males and females did not present significant differences during the reproductive cycle and the slope (b) of the length-weight relationship was 3.22, suggesting that reproduction and the annual hydrology cycle do not interfere in the health condition. Cichla piquiti is an exotic piscivore fish that is well adapted to this Neotropical reservoir, which exhibits environmental conditions considerably different from its original habitat. This study indicates that the species presents plasticity in reproduction and in allocation of resources, probably due the aseasonality of the reservoir and the exploitation of native species.


1993 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Alfredo Murri ◽  
Alberta Maria Polzonetti-Magni ◽  
Oliana Carnevali ◽  
Maria Giovanna Sabbieti ◽  
Paolo Villani ◽  
...  

AbstractWe studied the influence of altitude on the reproductive biology of two populations of Rana esculenta, one living at sea level in a lagoon and the other in the mountains. In the lagoon, where only slight fluctuations of air and water temperature occurred during the year, the reproductive period was longer than in the mountain population in which only one clutch was observed and where a sharp decline of temperature in autumn was consistent with a faster recovery period. High sex steroid plasma levels were found in amplexing males and females of both populations sampled in the field, compared with individuals. A pronounced effect of short-term captivity was found; androgens, estradiol- 17β and progesterone plasma levels decreased dramatically in amplexing frogs sampled in the laboratory 12 h after capture.


2013 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 365-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Merete Hjelset

Abstract Hjelset, A. M. 2014. Fishery-induced changes in Norwegian red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) reproductive potential. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 71: 365–373. The introduced red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) in the Barents Sea supports a valuable fishery in northern Norway. In this paper, I examine the effect of the increased harvest rate and the recently added female quota on the potential egg production of the stock. The size ranges of males and females in the period 1995–2011 were recorded, and estimated stock abundance of ovigerous females and established individual fecundity parameters from 2000–2007 were used to assess the reproductive potential of the stock from 1995–2011. The upper size ranges of males and females decreased throughout the period studied, presumably mainly due to fishing. The change in size composition among ovigerous females and functional mature males, and the reduced mean individual fecundity in the stock seem to have had a negative effect on the potential egg production of the stock.


2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila S. Lima ◽  
Marta Elena Fabián

Abstract Bats of the Phyllostomidae family exhibit different reproductive patterns in Neotropical regions and the strategy adopted depends on the regional climate. Here we studied the reproductive biology of Artibeus fimbriatus at the southern limit of their distribution in Brazil. This region has no rainy season, and the climate is characterized by high temperatures and variable photoperiods. We examined 129 A. fimbriatus females over several months, and used histological procedures where necessary in order to determine whether bats were pregnant. Females exhibited a long reproductive period and were pregnant from June until February. The reproduction events were found to be dependent on the photoperiod, but independent of annual accumulated precipitation. Our results show that at the southern limit of their distribution, A. fimbriatus exhibit seasonal-dependent reproductive patterns, with parturition events occurring during spring and summer, in which the days are longer and temperature is warmer.


2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andréa L. Neuberger ◽  
Elineide E. Marques ◽  
Carlos S. Agostinho ◽  
Rafael J. de Oliveira

In order to evaluate aspects of the reproductive biology of Rhaphiodon vulpinus in the Upper and Middle Tocantins River, samples were taken monthly from October, 1999 through September, 2001, by means of gill nets. Males, which were more abundant than females (chi2 146.87: df=1: p<0.05), matured at a smaller size. The reproductive period of the species extended essentially from November through January, with a peak of activity in November. Fecundity, with an estimated mean value of 98,185 oocytes, varied from 38,177 to 215,841 oocytes, and it did not correlate with the length of the individual female analyzed (r=0.4663: p=0.206). Relative fecundity was 130.6 oocytes/g total weight. Mature oocytes had a mean diameter of 0.98 mm, corresponding to a volume of 0.50 mm³.


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