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Gonadal Maturation and Maturity Staging of the Pacific Sand Lanсe Ammodytes personatus (Ammodytidae)

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Abstract

Detailed attributes on oogenesis, spermatogenesis, ovarian, and testicular maturity phases of the Pacific sand lance Ammodytes personatus are described here for the first time. Histology was subsequently used to define detailed morphological criteria related to five distinct histological and macroscopic maturity phases. This study revealed that Pacific sand lance do not exhibit sexual dimorphism in length and weight, however, statistically significant differences were noted for immature and mature fish. Maturation in Pacific sand lance occurred in females at a minimum FL of 97 mm and weight of 3.0 g. Maturation in males occurred at a minimum FL of 92 mm and weight of 2.5 g. First spawning was observed in females > 107 mm and > 3.5 g and in males > 104 mm and > 3.8 g. Bimodal size distributions were observed in mature ovaries, providing strong evidence for group-synchrony ovary organization, determinate fecundity, and the ability to estimate total fecundity prior to the onset of spawning. These results provide a useful reference for size-at-maturity and present a rigorous methodological approach to rapid and accurate assessment of reproductive maturation stages in this species. Moreover, the high-resolution maturity data provided in these analyses may be applied to inform stock-recruitment relationships and to estimate effects of parental stock composition on reproductive potential. The histological description of gonadal morphology may species be relevant to the reproductive biology of other members of family Ammodytidae, a closely related group of fishes.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research collaboration developed as a direct result of personal and professional relationships advanced in international exchange facilitated through the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES, https://meetings.pices.int/). Ideas for this collaboration were furthered in the 2017 PICES Annual Science Meeting in Vladivostok, Russia. This collaboration is representative of the type of exchange and engagement envisioned in the PICES Workshop on international collaboration and data exchange supported by the Monitor Committee and Technical Committee on Data Exchange and facilitated by Kirill Kivva (Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), Russia) and Matthew Baker (North Pacific Research Board), reflected in the workshop report (https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/ monitor-tcode-workshop-on-role-northern-bering/doc-view/1994314560/se-2?accountid=14784). We greatly appreciate the support of the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) in Vladivostok and Moscow as well as the Faculty of Biology, Shenzhen MSU–BIT University to support laboratory analyses. We also greatly appreciate the support of the University of Washington Friday Harbor Laboratories and School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and recognize the efforts of students engaged in the Pelagic Ecosystem Function Research Apprenticeship (OCEAN 492, http://courses.washington.edu/pelecofn/) towards sample collection and processing. A debt of gratitude is also owed to Dr. Elizabeth Logerwell at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for logistical support in this collaboration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen, China

    K. A. Zhukova

  2. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation

    K. A. Zhukova

  3. School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA

    M. R. Baker

  4. Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, San Juan Country, USA

    M. R. Baker

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  1. K. A. Zhukova
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Correspondence to K. A. Zhukova.

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Statement on the welfare of humans or animals. All fish were collected and processed in compliance with Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Animal Care protocols 4238–03 and 448501 reviewed and approved at the University of Washington. The IACUC ensures compliance with federal regulations, reviews and approves proposed research prior to initiation of research. All fish used to inform sample analysis were anaesthetized and then euthanized with buffered tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) in compliance with these guidelines and protocols.

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Zhukova, K.A., Baker, M.R. Gonadal Maturation and Maturity Staging of the Pacific Sand Lanсe Ammodytes personatus (Ammodytidae). J. Ichthyol. 62, 921–931 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945222050241

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