Abstract
In the present work, the oocytic structures of three species of groupers (Epinephelus aeneus, E. alexandrinus and E. guaza) have been studied. The oocytic maturation cycle is described, showing phases of ooplasmic pH changes and of vitellogenesis. The ripening is completed over 2 yr. The oocytes being recruited in shifts, they are also released in shifts 2 yr later inducing a spawning in several “waves”. The macroscopic recognition of characteristic ripening stages has been used to count oocytes during spawning. We have stated the total potential fecundity of these groupers and pointed out the differences between them.
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Communicated by O. Kinne, Hamburg
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Bouain, A., Siau, Y. Observations on the female reproductive cycle and fecundity of three species of groupers (Epinephelus) from the southeast Tunisian seashores. Mar. Biol. 73, 211–220 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406890
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406890