The reproductive biology of the crystal goby with a comparison to that of the transparent goby |
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Authors: | V Caputo† M L Mesa‡ G Candi P N Cerioni |
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Institution: | Istituto di Biologia e Genetica, Universitàdi Ancona, Via Brecce Bianche, 60100 Ancona, Italy and;CNR, Istituto di Ricerche sulla Pesca Marittima, Largo Fiera della Pesca, 60125 Ancona, Italy |
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Abstract: | A histological analysis of the gonad of the pelagic crystal goby Crystallogobius linearis , from the coastal central area of the Adriatic Sea, showed it to be a truly semelparous species; after the first spawning the mature gonads of both males and females appeared to have lost the capability for further spawning. Mature females had very low fecundity (200–700 mature oocytes) and small egg size (0·2–0·55 mm) similarly to other progenetic species. This reproductive strategy is compared with that of Aphia minuta , and a possible cause for the post-reproductive mortality of the two gobies is suggested and discussed. |
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Keywords: | Aphia minuta apoptosis Crystallogobius linearis mortality reproduction semelparity |
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