Reproductive cycle of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Antedon mediterranea</Emphasis> (Crinoidea,Echinodermata): correlation between morphology and physiology |
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Authors: | Alice Barbaglio Anna Biressi Giulio Melone Francesco Bonasoro Ramón Lavado Cinta Porte M Daniela Candia Carnevali |
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Institution: | (1) Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy;(2) Environmental Chemistry Department, IIQAB-CSIC, C/Jordi Girona, 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain |
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Abstract: | Gonads of the mediterranean crinoid Antedon mediterranea were analyzed in order to reconstruct their histological organization. The tissue arrangement resembled that previously described
in other crinoids. Five reproductive stages were identified in both males and females: recovery, growing, premature, mature,
spent. Sexually dimorphic characters were observed at the gonopore level. Hermaphroditic individuals were never detected.
There were novel findings concerning somatic accessory cells of the gonads. The reproductive cycle periodicity was indicated
by analysis of reproductive stage frequencies in the period 2003–2005: spring and winter were the seasons with highest and
lowest maturity levels, respectively. A role in the regulation of reproduction was hypothesized for testosterone and 17β-estradiol,
which were found to be present in A. mediterranea tissues and to vary during the reproductive cycle, thus suggesting a correlation between steroid levels and morphologically
recognizable reproductive stages. |
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Keywords: | Echinoderms Oogenesis Spermatogenesis Testosterone Estradiol |
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