Histological observations of seasonal reproductive and lunar-related spawning cycles in the female honeycomb grouper Epinephelus merra in Okinawan waters

Seasonal reproductive and lunar-related spawning cycles of the female honeycomb grouper Epinephelus merra inhabiting Okinawan waters were examined by histological observation of ovaries. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) increased beginning in May and peaked in June. Histological observations revealed that many oocytes laden with yolk were present in the ovaries from May to August. From September to October, ovaries were occupied by immature oocytes. These results suggest that the reproductive season of E.   merra lasts for 4 months from May through August in Okinawan waters. When the fish were collected according to the lunar cycle, GSI increased with the approach of the full moon. Oocytes at various development stages were observed from the first quarter to the full moon. Fresh ovulatory follicles were present in the ovaries around the last quarter moon. These results suggest that E.   merra has a lunar spawning cycle and spawns between the full moon and the last quarter moon. Ovarian features of the fish collected around the last quarter moon were different among individuals; some fish had many oocytes at the tertiary yolk stage in the ovaries, while the ovaries of the others were occupied by the oocytes at the peri-nucleolus and the oil droplet stages. This observation suggests that a minor release of eggs occurs in this species before or after a major spawning lunar day. Oocytes at the migratory nucleus and the maturation stages were not observed in any ovarian samples. This may mean that maturation of oocytes is related to the spawning behavior of this species and makes rapid progress in the process of aggregation at the spawning sites.     

Histological evidence of lunar-synchronized ovarian development and spawning in the spiny rabbitfish Siganus spinus (Linnaeus) around the Ryukyus

ABSTRACT: This study clarifies the annual reproductive cycle and the lunar-synchronized spawning of the spiny rabbitfish ( Siganus spinus ) that inhabit the Okinawan waters. Annual and weekly changes in the gonadosomatic index (GSI) and the histological features of the ovaries were checked. Gonadosomatic index was high during the months of May to July, and yolk-laden oocytes were observed in the ovaries from March to July. Some of the ovaries collected during June and July contained oocytes at maturation stage or ovulatory follicles. These results suggest that the spiny rabbitfish undergo active vitellogenesis and spawning from May to July. During the reproductive season (May to July), collection of fish according to the lunar phase revealed that a high GSI occurred around the time of the new moon. Cyclic oocyte development with peaks around the time of the same moon phase was also observed, suggesting that, in Okinawan waters, this species is a lunar-synchronized spawner and spawns three times.     

Comparing histology and gonadosomatic index for determining spawning condition of small-bodied riverine fishes

Abstract –  We compared gonadosomatic index (GSI) and histological analysis of ovaries for identifying reproductive periods of fishes to determine the validity of using GSI in future studies. Four small-bodied riverine species were examined in our comparison of the two methods. Mean GSI was significantly different between all histological stages for suckermouth minnow and red shiner. Mean GSI was significantly different between most stages for slenderhead darter; whereas stages 3 and 6 were not significantly different, the time period when these stages are present would allow fisheries biologists to distinguish between the two stages. Mean GSI was not significantly different for many histological stages in stonecat. Difficulties in distinguishing between histological stages and GSI associated with stonecat illustrate potential problems obtaining appropriate sample sizes from species that move to alternative habitats to spawn. We suggest that GSI would be a useful tool in identifying mature ovaries in many small-bodied, multiple-spawning fishes. This information could be combined with data from histology during mature periods to pinpoint specific spawning events.     

人工诱导罗氏沼虾同步产卵与卵巢组织学研究

运用保幼激素类似物－ＺＲ５１５诱导罗氏沼虾同步产卵进行了生产性规模试验，每性雌虾体钙点滴４０μｌＪＨＡ－ＺＲ５１５，通过体表渗稼促进卵巢成熟和产卵。药物处理后１６－１７天，产卵率为４１．８１％，较常规生产的自然产卵率提高５０．２３％。罗氏沼虾卵巢生物学和组织滂研究表明，性成熟后的任何发育阶段，卵巢中均存在由卵原细胞组成的生发带和卵黄发生卵母细胞。     

Asynchronous and synchronous spawning by smalleye shiner Notropis buccula from the Brazos River,Texas

Abstract – We used a combination of methods to study the reproductive ecology of the imperiled smalleye shiner Notropis buccula Cross in the Brazos River, Texas between April 2003 and March 2005. Patterns in oocyte development, gonadosomatic index and oocyte size distribution indicate that reproduction occurs over a 6‐month period between April and September and that the population spawns asynchronously with individual fish spawning small batches of ova throughout the reproductive season except during periods of elevated streamflow when spawning becomes more intense and is synchronised within the population. This combination of asynchronous spawning and episodic synchronous spawning in the same species challenges the current paradigm of an exclusive association between spawning and periods of elevated streamflow for pelagic, broadcast‐spawning cyprinids in North American Great Plains Rivers. The combination of asynchronous and synchronous spawning that we observed for the smalleye shiner is likely widespread among pelagic, broadcast‐spawning cyprinids and limitations of the methods commonly used to assess reproductive ecology likely contributed to an incomplete understanding of the relationship between spawning and streamflow. An accurate understanding of this relationship is necessary to design and implement appropriate conservation and management strategies for the smalleye shiner and other imperiled broadcast‐spawning cyprinid fishes.     

Reproductive performance in induced and spontaneous spawning of the mangrove red snapper, Lutjanus argentimaculatus: a potential candidate species for sustainable aquaculture

A reliable breeding technique was developed for the mangrove red snapper, Lutjanus argentimaculatus (Forsskal 1775), to help sustain the aquaculture of this immensely popular species in Southeast Asia. Using standardized indices of female maturity (based on mean oocyte diameter of ≥0.40 mm), time of injection (1000–1130) and sex ratio (one female to two males), a single injection of 100 μg kg^?1 luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone analogue (LHRHa) (n=16 fish), but not 50 μg kg^?1 (n=five fish), successfully induced egg (62.5% success rate) and larval (43.8%) production. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) at 500 IU kg^?1 (n=five fish) also failed to induce spawning, but doses of 1000 (n=22 fish) and 1500 IU kg^?1 (n=15 fish) gave spawning (77.3% and 80.0% respectively) and hatching success rates (72.7% and 60.0% respectively) that were not significantly different from those of 100 μg kg^?1 LHRHa. No spawning was observed in saline‐injected controls (n=seven fish). While mean spawning latency, egg diameter, egg production per spawn, percent egg viability, hatching rate, percent of normal larvae and cumulative survival of eggs to normal larvae did not differ significantly among the effective hormones and doses, 1000 IU kg^?1 hCG had a higher percentage (76.5%) of total spawns with egg production per spawn in excess of one million than those of 1500 IU kg^?1 hCG (50.0%) and 100 μg kg^?1 LHRHa (40.0%). Mangrove red snapper spontaneously spawned from March–April to November–December with a peak of egg collection and spawning in May–June. Egg collection per spawn ranged from 0.05 to 6.35 million. Spontaneous spawning of mangrove red snapper exhibited lunar periodicity with spawns mostly occurring 3 days before or after the last quarter and new moon phases and occurred consistently between 02:00 and 04:00 hours. High fecundity and good egg quality, coupled with the ability to respond to induce spawning or natural spawning in captivity, provide a sound basis for improving the sustainability of red snapper aquaculture in Southeast Asia.     

Skipped spawning in female iteroparous fishes

It is often assumed that iteroparous fishes spawn annually once reaching sexual maturity, but this is not always the case. This paper reviews available information on skipped spawning in female teleost fishes. All instances of non‐annual spawning are described as one of three types (retaining, reabsorbing, resting), depending on where in the normal spawning cycle development has been interrupted. Retaining ripe eggs is caused by conditions experienced during the spawning season (fish density, mate availability, pollution), whereas failure to start vitellogenesis (resting) or the breakdown of all oocytes that enter into vitellogenesis (reabsorbing) is caused by factors experienced prior to the spawning season (primarily temperature and poor nutrition). It is speculated that the relative shortage of data on non‐annual spawning may be because of difficulties in identifying non‐reproductive individuals. In an attempt to rectify this situation, the criteria needed to identify females undergoing the three forms of spawning omission are presented in terms of external appearance of gonads, gonad indices, and histological analysis. The energy saved by not spawning in a poor year may lead to increased survival and the probability of spawning in subsequent years. As the cumulative number of progeny gained by surviving to spawn in multiple subsequent years outweighs the number of progeny lost by not spawning in a given single year, occasional omission of spawning may constitute an adaptive trait in long‐lived iteroparous fishes.     

Lunar cycles and reproductive activity in reef fishes with particular attention to rabbitfishes

Cues from the moon influence synchrony in growth, feeding, migration, behaviour and reproduction of many reef fishes. Compared with comprehensive studies on the annual and daily activities of fish, few physiological studies have paid attention to the importance of lunar cues in reproductive activities. We review mutual and interesting relationships between fish reproduction and environmental changes induced by the moon, with particular emphasis on the reproductive activity of the rabbitfishes (Siganidae). Rabbitfish species exhibit, in nature, a definitive reproductive season, which differs among the tropical areas. During the reproductive season, synchronous spawning of rabbitfish is associated with a particular lunar phase. The lunar phase used by the respective species is similar in different regions on the earth. Histological observations revealed that gonads develop synchronously towards a peak around the spawning lunar phase, after which the gonads return to spent condition. Concomitant with gonadal development, sex steroid hormones were produced under the influence of gonadotropin (GtH). Injections of human chronic gonadotropin (hCG) to the fish that are undergoing active spermatogenesis accelerated testicular maturation. These results suggest that hormonal response in maturing the gonads in rabbitfish is under the regulation of GtH, and that pituitary secretion of GtH according to the lunar cycle accounts for the lunar rhythm in gonadal development. We speculate that the cues from the moon can be recognized by the higher parts of the hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal axis. Possible relationships between exogenous environmental factors and the lunar‐reproductive rhythm are also discussed.     

Frequency and Periodicity of Spawning in the Clownfish Amphiprion akallopisos Under Aquarium Conditions

Amphiprion akallopisos kept under aquarium conditions in South Africa spawned on average 2.2±0.8 (standard deviation) times per month throughout the year. There was no significant correlation between percentage of A. akallopisos pairs spawning and phase of the moon or tidal patterns. The increase in the number of spawnings during some spring and summer months appeared to correlate with changing photoperiod rather than changing water temperature. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Variations in spawning ground area and egg density of the Japanese sardine in Pacific coastal and oceanic waters

The spawning ground of the Japanese sardine, Sardinops melanostictus (Schlegel), was distributed over the oceanic waters as well as the coastal waters along the Pacific coasts of western and eastern Japan during 1978–1992. The area of the spawning ground in the coastal waters on the continental shelf has ranged from 95 000 km² in 1992 to 143 000 km² in 1988, constituting 44–77% of the total area of the spawning ground. The area of the coastal spawning ground was relatively constant in spite of the large fluctuations in egg abundance, i.e. size of the spawning population, from 88 trillion (1987) to 668 trillion (1989) in the waters. Spawning adults seemed to extend over the coastal waters irrespective of the size of the spawning population. In contrast to the coastal waters, the spawning area in the oceanic waters offshore of the continental shelf increased from 31 000 km² in 1978 to 183 000 km² in 1988 and then shrank to 83 000 km² in 1992, as a function of the spawning population size. The egg distribution density in the coastal waters stayed less than 6000 m⁻² mo⁻¹, but it reached as high as 27 400 m⁻² mo⁻¹ in the expanded spawning ground in the oceanic waters. The oceanic waters seemed to function as a reserve spawning ground for the sardine in years of extremely high spawning population.     

Gonadal recrudescence and induced spawning in Barbus altianalis

Gonadal recrudescence in Barbus altianalis from River Nile, Jinja (33°05E; 0°45N) Uganda was studied prior to induced spawning. Oocytes in B. altianalis were found to develop in cohorts suggesting batch spawning throughout the year with pronounced spawning activities coinciding with rainfall peaks of April and September. There was a strong positive correlation between rainfall and gonadosomatic index (r_S = 0.75, P = 0.008). B. altianalis had low fecundity (6.0 ± 2.0 per gram) and large‐sized eggs (2.97 ± 0.1 mm). Induced spawning was successful with exogenous hormones and water current. Results from this study suggested that total striping may not be appropriate, but larger eggs would confer high survival of offsprings under optimal conditions. The success registered in induced spawning of B. altianalis provides a breakthrough in seed production for multiplication and culture of this economically important fish species.     

Recent changes in the spawning grounds of Black Sea anchovy,Engraulis encrasicolus

Towards the end of the 1980s, when the spawning grounds in the northwestern shelf (NWS) of the Black Sea were lingering with the effects of eutrophication and of an exotic invasive ctenophore, a series of basin‐wide international ichthyoplankton surveys pointed out an increase in the anchovies spawning in the southern half of the Black Sea. Later, with the help of international conservation efforts, several key littoral ecosystem components within the anchovy's historical spawning grounds showed signs of recovery. However, the fate of the spawning stock anchovy in the south remained unanswered. In order to present the current situation in the southern Black Sea after two decades, an ichthyoplankton survey adopting the same methodology as previously used was undertaken during the peak spawning season of the Black Sea anchovy (BSa). The survey showed that the density of eggs was by far greater than for any of the surveys conducted previously. A wider geographical distribution of the eggs indicated an increase in the number of vagrants which had drifted away from the known spawning grounds. In contrast, the increased reproductive activity in the south signifies existence of a growing, non‐migrating southern BS stock. This stock seems to utilize the coastal hydrographic features associated with the rim current facilitating escape (loophole) from gelatinous predators such as Mnemiopsis leidyi and Aurelia aurata.     

维生素E对克氏原螫虾生殖的影响

实验用不同的维生素E（VE）含量的饲料投喂克氏原螯虾亲虾，研究对其繁殖性能的影响，目的是为研制亲虾的人工饲料提供指导。结果显示，在添加VE量分别为基础饲料干重的0％、0．004％、0．02％、0．1％和0．5％的5个饲料组中，0．02％VE组不仅可以增加产卵雌虾的数量比例，而且也能提高克氏原螯虾雌虾的产卵量。随着VE含量的升高，产卵雌虾的比例呈下降趋势，单个雌虾的产卵量与0．02％VE组差不多，这表明饲料中适当添加VE可促进克氏原螯虾产卵，但饲料中VE含量过高对克氏原螯虾的繁殖产生负面影响。在饲料节添加适量的VE能够提高亲虾繁殖能力，方法简单，效果明显，适合规模化生产的需要，可以推广。     

Early out-of-season induced spawning of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque) conditioned in heated earthen ponds

This study documents early out-of-season induced spawning of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. During the early spring (February–April) of 1999, 2000 and 2001, ponds containing (1) male and female channel catfish (mixed-sex ponds) or (2) male channel and blue catfish I. furcatus only, or female channel catfish only (single-sex ponds) were heated to 24–30°C to encourage gonadal maturation and spawning. Unheated ponds were stocked with males and females and were monitored during the duration of heating. When natural spawning occurred in the heated ponds, the fish were captured by seining and unspawned females were injected with 100 μg kg⁻¹ of synthetic leutenizing hormone-releasing hormone. Injected females were either paired with males or held in communal all-female groups, and monitored for ovulation. Eggs were collected and fertilized with sperm of channel catfish or blue catfish. Females paired with males were induced to spawn 44 days (mixed-sex ponds) and 50 days (single-sex ponds) before natural spawning occurred in unheated ponds. Spawning latency (the time between injection and ovulation) and the percentage of neurulated embryos from eggs fertilized using channel catfish sperm was not different between spawning before the natural season (P=0.68) and during the natural season in fish from mixed-sex ponds (P=0.57). Females held in all-female groups produced eggs 34 days before the onset of spawning in unheated ponds. Spawning latency was not different between spawns before and during the natural season (P=0.16), and the percentages of neurulated embryos from eggs fertilized with channel catfish sperm (P=0.76) or blue catfish sperm (P=0.77) before or during the natural season were not different. This study demonstrates the feasibility of conditioning of channel catfish females for early out-of-season induced spawning in the laboratory.     

Brown trout redd superimposition in relation to spawning habitat availability

Abstract – The relationship between redd superimposition and spawning habitat availability was investigated in the brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) population inhabiting the river Castril (Granada, Spain). Redd surveys were conducted in 24 river sections to estimate the rate of redd superimposition. Used and available microhabitat was evaluated to compute the suitable spawning habitat (SSH) for brown trout. After analysing the microhabitat characteristics positively selected by females, SSH was defined as an area that met all the following five requirements: water depth between 10 and 50 cm, mean water velocity between 30 and 60 cm s^?1, bottom water velocity between 15 and 60 cm s^?1, substrate size between 4 and 30 mm and no embeddedness. Simple regression analyses showed that redd superimposition was not correlated with redd numbers, SSH or redd density. A simulation‐based analysis was performed to estimate the superimposition rate if redds were randomly placed inside the SSH. This analysis revealed that the observed superimposition rate was higher than expected in 23 of 24 instances, this difference being significant (P < 0.05) in eight instances and right at the limit of statistical significance (P = 0.05) in another eight instances. Redd superimposition was high in sections with high redd density. High superimposition however was not exclusive to sections with high redd density and was found in moderate‐ and low‐redd‐density sections. This suggests that factors other than habitat availability are also responsible for redd superimposition. We argue that female preference for spawning over previously excavated redds may be the most likely explanation for high superimposition at lower densities.