Male reproductive cycle of the Siberian salamander Salamandrella keyserlingii (Caudata: Hynobiidae) in coastal tundra of the Sea of Okhotsk

The adaptations which allowed the Siberian salamander (Salamandrella keyserlingii Dybowski, 1870) to form its exceptionally large, polyzonal range (forest-steppe, forests, and southern tundras of Siberia and part of European Russia) remain insufficiently studied. We checked the hypothesis that S. keyserlingii was able to colonize the northern territories, characterized by a short and cold summer and therefore unsuitable for other amphibians, due to multiyear maturation of its spermatozoa and eggs which was described in the southern part of Western Siberia. For this purpose, the male reproductive cycle of S. keyserlingii was studied during the entire 4-month active season in the Sea of Okhotsk coastal tundras. The complete development of gametes there took only 3 months: proliferation of spermatogonia started already in the spawning pond soon after spermiation in May and ended by the time the males left the water; spermatocytes were formed at the end of June, and spermatozoa, by the second half of August. Spermatogenesis occurred synchronously in all the maturing lobules along the entire length of the testis. Mature spermatozoa were stored in the testes until spring when external fertilization took place in the pond. Morphological and histological changes in the testes and vasa deferentia, the mode of fertilization, and annual reproduction of S. keyserlingii were similar to those of other studied species of the family. Our data disprove the previous conclusion about multiyear spermatogenesis of S. keyserlingii, which, therefore, cannot be considered among the possible adaptations which facilitated colonization of the northern territories by this species.     

Assessment of reproductive potential in multiple-spawning fish with indeterminate fecundity: a case study of yellow sea bream Dentex hypselosomus in the East China Sea

This study examined the spawning season, spawning frequency and batch fecundity of yellow sea bream Dentex hypselosomus in the East China Sea to reassess the previously reported reproductive characteristics of the species. Time-course sampling showed that this species had a diurnal ovarian maturation rhythm. Late tertiary yolk-stage oocytes appeared 2 days before spawning, starting the process of germinal vesicle movement and breakdown. On the day of spawning, ovulation and subsequent spawning occurred in the early morning (0400–0800 hours). Postovulatory follicles disappeared from the ovaries within c. 24 h of ovulation. Seasonal changes in the ovarian conditions indicated that this species spawned more or less throughout the year, with the peak ranging from spring to autumn. The compositions of the developing oocytes and degenerating postovulatory follicles in the ovaries suggested that most females spawned repeatedly over 2 to 3 consecutive days during the peak of the spawning season. Somatic body condition did not have a significant effect on batch fecundity, but there was a significant relationship between batch fecundity and fork length according to spawning status. Females spawning on consecutive days were more fecund than those spawning every other day. The findings show that this species has much greater reproductive potential than previously estimated.     

Reproductive conditions of walleye pollock <Emphasis Type="Italic">Theragra chalcogramma</Emphasis> (Gadidae) off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island,Sea of Okhotsk

The spatial distribution of eggs and larvae of the walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma is considered in respect to dynamics of oceanologic processes, nutrients, chlorophyll а and zooplankton off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island in spring 2012. It is shown that the effect of severe temperature regime in the near-bottom horizons in the western Sea of Okhotsk during the spawning period of walleye pollock becomes milder due to specific features of water dynamics. The egg distribution is determined by mesoscale eddies in the region. The species survival depends on the effect of such environmental factors as freshwater discharge from the Amur River, eddy structure in waters of the Sea of Okhotsk, and dynamics of phytoplankton and zooplankton development.     

Territoriality and reproductive behaviour in the goldsinny, Ctenolabrus rupestris L.

Territoriality and reproductive behaviour of the Goldsinny, Ctenolabrus rupestris, was studied in the waters around Tjärnö on the Swedish west coast. Observations were made by SCUBA-diving and from an observation raft and in aquaria.Patrolling, foraging, courtship and aggression were defined and quantified throughout the reproductive season and after. Spawning activity was also examined and it has been found that one male spawns with several females. During spawning accesory males may be present at fertilisation and their role is discussed. Both sinking and floating eggs were recorded, which are discussed.After spawning some females became territorial as well as some subadults. The territories showed a consistency according to their boundaries and occupants from year to year.     

Some biological features and productive characteristics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oithona similis</Emphasis> (Copepoda) in the Sea of Okhotsk and western Bering Sea

The biological peculiarities of Oithona similis were described based on the materials from 29 complex surveys that were conducted by the TINRO Center in the Sea of Okhotsk and the western Bering Sea from 1986 to 2005 and the production of the species was estimated. In this area, O. similis produces four generations a year, viz., one in the spring, one in the fall, and two in the summer. The peak of spawning in May and June coincides with the maximum development of phytoplankton. Somatic production of O. similis in both seas becomes higher during the summer season. In this species, the largest increment in body weight begins with the copepodite stage CIV, when basic nutrients are accumulated. The average specific daily production of O. similis in the epipelagic zone of the Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea was 0.0092 and 0.01 in the spring, 0.043 and 0.031 in the summer, and 0.023 and 0.014 in the fall, respectively. The total somatic production of this species reached 28.318 million tons in the Sea of Okhotsk and 4.811 million tons in the Bering Sea. The Sea of Okhotsk is more favorable for the development of O. similis.     

Reproduction of the Siberian salamander, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salamandrella keyserlingii</Emphasis> (Amphibia,Caudata, Hynobiidae), in water bodies on permafrost in Northeastern Asia

The possibility for Siberian salamanders to reproduce in the permafrost zone of Eurasia is due to specific thermal conditions in small water bodies (pools) freezing to the bottom, rather than to the adaptive properties of the species. These conditions are as follows: (1) meltwater in freezing marshland pools appears relatively early; (2) the rate of water warming increases in the south-north direction due to the lengthening of the daylight period; (3) water temperature is higher than air temperature but does not reach the values critical for S. keyserlingii eggs and larvae; and (4) the thawed silt layer prevents water cooling by the underlying permafrost bed. Reproduction of Siberian salamanders in different parts of the species range begins under similar thermal conditions, which are formed 1.5–2 months earlier in the south (the Jewish Autonomous Region) than in the north (the Chaun Bay coast). In any region, the onset of spawning may vary by up to 30 days. The existence of Siberian salamanders in the tundra zone is facilitated by continuous daylight during the polar day, which provides for rapid water warming to relatively high temperatures and creates additional opportunities for larval feeding. These factors may account for the acceleration of amphibian ontogeny in the North, noted by Shvarts and Ishchenko (1971). The northern boundary of the Siberian salamander range in Eastern Siberia is defined by the sum of water temperatures over the warm season, which should be no less than 850–900°/day. This boundary in the tundras of Europe, Western Siberia, and the Chukchi Peninsula is shifted southward, with its location being apparently dependent on some other factors.     

Comparative morphology and histology of the ovaries of the spined loach Cobitis taenia L. and natural allopolyploids of Cobitis (Cobitidae)

The maturity of ovaries, gonado-somatic index and size of oocytes in particular developmental stages during the reproductive period of spined loach Cobitis taenia and allotriploid and allotetraploid Cobitis were examined. The ploidy levels of all the loaches were determined according to karyotypes. All the investigated females spawned multiple times and the spawning period was from the end of May (water temperature c. 18·5° C) to mid- or the end of July. Some of the triploids had a longer spawning period which lasted until the end of August. Each female could lay several portions of eggs which differed in size and number during the spawning season. The relative proportion of oocytes of each stage in the ovaries during the reproductive period changed. The sizes of oocytes at the particular stages of triploids were statistically significantly larger than oocytes in the respective stages in C. taenia (diploid). The sizes of the oocytes (each stage) of C. taenia from both populations were not significantly different.     

Reproductive biology of little tunny,Euthynnus alletteratus (Rafinesque), from the north‐eastern Mediterranean Sea

The study aimed at identifying spawning season and potential year classes reaching maturity in the north‐eastern Mediterranean, an area where little information on tuna spawning is available. Gonads (60 ovaries and 36 testis) were obtained from little tunny, Euthynnus alletteratus. The fish were caught between November 2002 and May 2005 in the north‐eastern Mediterranean Sea. The ovaries were histologically examined to determine the reproductive conditions and developmental stages of oocytes. Seven females sampled in May, July, and August were sexually mature (stage III or IV). The gonado‐somatic index (GSI) indicated that spawning generally occurred between May and September. The most intensive spawning period was observed between July and August. The sex ratio was calculated as 1 : 1.7 M/F (total n = 96). The length and weight relationship was calculated with W = 0.038 L^2.77, ages from year I to IV being included in the analysis.     

Comparative study of sexual cycles, oogenesis and spawning of two Soleidae, Solea lascaris (Risso, 1810) and Solea impar (Bennet, 1831), on the western coast of Brittany

Two sand sole species, Solea lascaris and Solea impar , are common on the western coast of Brittany, France. Their reproduction (oogenesis and spawning) has been studied by following the gonadosomatic index, histological changes in ovary development, and oocyte diameter distribution. Both species have a prolonged spawning season, from spring to late summer. Each mature female breeds twice during the spawning season: in May and July for 5. lascaris , and in early June and July for 5. impar. Throughout the spawning season, several oocyte batches undergo vitellogenesis and there is a continuous recruitment of immature or primary oocytes into vitellogenesis. The two species are thus serial synchronous spawners. This, together with oocyte atresia late in the season (especially noticeable in S. impar ) makes fecundity estimation difficult.     

Reproduction mode of European Bitterling (Rhodeus amarus,Bloch, 1782) determined through rapid oocyte counts and size determination using digital imaging

This study focuses on assessing the reproduction mode of an important model species for evolutionary and behavioural ecology by using digital image analysis: the European bitterling Rhodeus amarus (Bloch, 1782). Specifications of mode of reproduction were determined using oocyte size distribution, seasonal dynamics in mean oocyte diameter and total number of oocytes in ovary samples gained from April to July 2007. The rapid oocyte count was enabled by using lucia image analysis software, which also provided measurement and colour estimations of oocytes. Bitterling ovaries showed features typical for indeterminate spawners, i.e. a continuous distribution of oocyte size over the reproductive season and recruitment of new pre‐vitelogenic oocytes in the second half of the reproductive season. These results are consistent with the view that the European bitterling is a batch spawning fish with indeterminate fecundity.     

The biology of the Red Sea migrant,Saurida undosquamis in the Mediterranean and comparison with the indigenous confamilial Synodus saurus (Teleostei: Synodontidae)

A study of the biology of Red Sea — Suez Canal migrant, the lizardfish Saurida undosquamis and the indigenous Synodus saurus was carried out in the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The spawning season of S. undosquamis lasts from March to December indicating a curtailment of the year-round spawning season of the source population in the Gulf of Oman. The spawning season of S. saurus is from February to August. The diameter of ripe oocytes of S. undosquamis is 500–600 μm. Females of S. undosquamis grow slightly faster than males and reach a larger size (340 mm TL versus 280 mm TL). Niche partitioning between the two lizardfishes is primarily on the basis of depth. The invador occupying deeper water. Both species are chiefly piscivorous but as a result of their depth distribution there is little diet overlap on the specific level.     

First data on the biology of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hadropareia middendorffii</Emphasis> (Perciformes,Zoarcidae) in the Tauysk Bay,the Sea of Okhotsk

Data of long-term studies (1997–2013) on biology of Hadropareia middendorffii from different areas of Tauysk Bay, the Sea of Okhotsk are generalized. This species is widespread over the entire northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, and it prefers sandy-pebbly grounds. Maximum sizes and age comprise 267 mm, 73 g, and 7+; in catches, individuals with a length of 9.1–12.0 cm, weight 0.1–10.0 g, at an age of 1+ to 3+ dominate. In general size–age characteristics of females and males as a whole are rather similar, and sex ratio is nearly equal. Hadropareia middendorffii spawns from the second half of June to the first 10-day period of August; its fecundity varies within 67–219 eggs.     

Abnormal oogenesis in barfin plaice <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pleuronectes pinnifasciatus</Emphasis> from the Amursky Bay of the Sea of Japan

Deformed previtellogenic oocytes, oocytes with incomplete cytoplasm vacuolization, and, 2–2.5 month prior to the spawning season, vitellogenic oocytes with sites of homogenized yolk have been revealed during oogenesis of barfin plaice Pleuronectes pinnifasciatus living in the Amursky Bay, one of the most polluted areas in Peter the Great Bay of the Sea of Japan. The early onset of yolk homogenization can point to the forthcoming resorption of oocytes in the plaice during the spawning season. The number of oocytes with such developmental abnormalities varied among females.     

Cytomorphology of female and male gonads in Antarctic toothfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dissosctichus mawsoni</Emphasis> (Nototheniidae) from the Ross Sea in the summer period

Results of histological analysis of gonads of female and male Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni caught in the Ross Sea of the Pacific sector in the period of Antarctic summer (December–February) 2004–2005 are presented. Morphological indices and index of gonad maturity are described and ecological criteria of assessment of maturity stages of ovaries, cytological indices of oocytes, and the type of toothfish oogenesis are determined. It was established that in the period of fishing Antarctic toothfish, females and males with gonads at maturity stage III dominate. Ovaries contain two groups of oocytes of the period of trophoplasmatic growth and large oocytes of the nearest spawning season that comprise the smallest proportion of total sex cells. In the testes of two male toothfish, the primary fusion of renal and generative tissues was revealed. It is suggested that the termination of gonad maturity of toothfish takes place from March to April, and spawning takes place from June to August.     

A histological investigation of the maturation of the acorn worm, an inhabitant of the Sea of Japan, and a suggestion about the relationship between synchronized spawning/spermiation and the tidal level

One species of Hemichordata, Balanoglossus misakiensis, is then acorn worm originally reported from the intertidal zone of the Miura Peninsula on the Pacific Ocean side of Japan. We histologically examined the reproductive cycle of the population of this species, which inhabits only the sublittoral zone in the Sea of Japan. Testes and ovaries began to develop at the beginning of May 2003 and were almost mature in the latter half of June in males and in the first half of July in females in the same year. Subsequently, spermiation and spawning followed in the latter half of July in males and in the first half of August in females. Progress in maturation appeared to be related to increases in the water temperature. Although some experiments were conducted in aquariums to identify the conditions responsible for the synchronization of the occurrence of spontaneous spawning/spermiation, no clues were obtained. During the experiments, however, 11, 2, and 4 individuals out of the 67 used achieved spawning/spermiation on separate days. The occurrence of spawning/spermiation in the laboratory corresponded to the latter half of the switch from high tide to low tide on those days. Also in the field, it was known that they released the gametes according to this specific schedule. Therefore, it was suggested that, in the Japan Sea population of this species, the tide level may be a condition for synchronized spawning/spermiation.     

Reproduction in the greenback grey mullet, Liza subviridis (Valenciennes, 1836)

This paper presents data on the reproductive biology of Liza subviridis , a little studied mullet species. The fish is heterosexual, exhibiting external fertilization. Six maturity stages can be macroscopically identified in the testes and seven in the ovaries. The macroscopic changes in the gonads are manifestations of histological changes occurring in the development of sperm cells and oocytes. First sexual maturity is attained in the length ranges of 9.5–11.5 cm and 10.5–11.5 cm in male and female fish respectively. The fecundity for fish measuring 10.3–13.9 cm in standard length ranged from 40 000–145 000 eggs. The relationship between fecundity ( F ) and length ( L ) can be represented as: F = 1.9044 L ^4.2998. The spawning duration in L. subviridis is restricted to a short and definite period, with all ripe ova being released within a single spawning act. A pronounced spawning season can be detected to extend from June to November. However, during off-seasons, some spawning also occurs. The correlations between spawning, rainfall and air temperature is discussed.     

Ovary of the golden crab,Chaceon fenneri: I. Post-spawning and oosorption

Oosorption has been considered an important strategy in many invertebrate species which occurs in response to behavioral, ecological, or physiological factors. In crustaceans, the early light microscopic studies of the ovary attributed a role in oosorption to follicle cells, hemocytes, or phagocytes. In this study, ovaries were collected from female golden crabs following spawning and processed for examination by electron microscopy. Following spawning, several unspawned oocytes which had become dissociated from their follicle cells were found in the ovaries. They appeared to be lodged within the lumen. Such oocytes were observed undergoing various stages of autolysis. At no time were hemocytes or recognizable phagocytes found in the lumen of the ovaries or in contact with the degenerating oocytes. Follicle cells which had surrounded the oocytes prior to the time of spawning exhibited disrupted membranes. Resorption of unspawned eggs appears to occur by autolysis of the individual oocytes. Several of the females who had recently spawned had numerous sperm in their ovaries. Such sperm may have been pressed into the lumen at the time of spawning or during the fixation process.     

Ovarian structure and batch fecundity in Lophiomus setigerus

The ovarian structure and batch fecundity of anglerfish Lophiomus setigerus were examined from specimens collected in the East China Sea during March 1991 to September 1995. The right and left ovarian lobes were connected at their posterior ends. Stalk-like ovigerous lamellae protruded from the ovarian wall. During the spawning season, gelatinous material was secreted from the epithelia of both the ovigerous lamellae and ovarian wall, and these epithelia showed morphological changes accompanying the ovarian maturation cycle. Tertiary yolk, migratory nucleus, and mature stage oocytes occurred in the ovaries between May and November, when females with postovulatory follicles and developing vitellogenic oocytes were collected also. These results suggested an extended spawning season during which females undergo repeated spawnings. When the most advanced oocytes attained the secondary yolk stage, they formed a batch that separated from the adjacent group of smaller oocytes. Batch fecundity ( F ) in 20 females with secondary yolk stage ovaries was related to total length (L_T, mm) as F= 556.2 L_T^1.157 (300≤L_T≤396).     

Reproductive biology ofAwaous guamensis, an amphidromous Hawaiian goby

Synopsis Spawning season, size at first reproduction, oocyte maturation, and fecundity ofAwaous guamensis, an amphidromous Hawaiian goby, were studied from June 1989 through May 1991 in the Wainiha River, Kau'ai, Hawai'i. Female fish larger than 73 mm standard length (SL) had mature gonads from August through December in 1989 and 1990. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) values for mature females ranged from 0.2 to 14.5 during the spawning season. Male fish larger than 64 mm SL had elevated GSI values from June 1989 through December 1989 and from August 1990 through December 1990. Mature sperm were found in two male fish collected in January and February. GSI values for mature males ranged from less than 0.01 to 4.0 in the spawning season. Size-frequency distributions of measurements of vitellogenic oocyte diameters and microscopic observations of oocytes indicated this species has group-synchronous oocyte development. Ovarian maturation stages examined over a 29-month period suggest that members of the stock spawned at different times within the spawning season, although mass spawning events have been documented for this species. Estimates of clutch sizes from nests measured in situ were comparable to estimates of potential fecundity from in vitro examination of ovaries, and indicated that female fish deposited an entire clutch during a spawning event. No evidence for multiple spawning by an individual fish in a single season was found. However, microscopic observations of brown bodies in some ovaries suggested that individual fish probably spawn more than once in a lifetime.     

The size composition of the pelagic eggs of walleye pollack <Emphasis Type="Italic">Theragra chalcogramma</Emphasis> in spawning areas of the northern Sea of Okhotsk

The data on the size composition of the pollack developing eggs of walleye pollack collected in the northern Sea of Okhotsk in 2001 during mass spawning are given. The eggs caught in western Kamchatka and in Shelikhov Bay had the greatest diameter; they were somewhat less in the northern Okhotsk Sea area; and the smallest eggs were found in eastern Sakhalin. The clinal variability of the size composition of walleye pollack eggs was observed in the northern Sea of Okhotsk, and in the western and eastern parts it had a local pattern. Parameters such as spawning female size composition, temperature, and salinity, as well their influence on the size composition of eggs, were considered.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Biologiya Morya, Ovsyannikov.