Summary
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1.
Experimental investigations on the influence of photoperiod and temperature on gonad development in Gasterosteus aculeatus were carried out between October 1967 and January 1968.
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2.
A combination of long photoperiod and high temperature has proved to stimulate gametogenesis while a combination of short photoperiod and high temperature leads to a complete cessation. Low temperature leads to a slight gonadal development, irrespective of day length. There seem to be no sexual differences in the reaction to these environmental factors.
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3.
The secondary sex characteristics of the male may appear despite total absence of interstitial tissue. This indicates that either testosterone may be produced outside the Leydig cells, or other hormones may be responsible for the appearance of the secondary sex characteristics.
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4.
Very high population density (1 fish/4 l) prevents the appearance of the secondary sex characteristics even in the presence of Leydig cells. The females are incapable of completing gonad development if the males do not exhibit secondary sex characteristics.
Zusammenfassung
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1.
In 3 Versuchsreihen wurde der Einfluß von Tageslänge und Temperatur auf die Gonadenreifung von Gasterosteus aculeatus untersucht.
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2.
Bei hoher Temperatur wirkt lange Photoperiode stark stimulierend, kurze Photoperiode dagegen hemmend. Bei niedriger Temperatur findet eine geringe Entwicklung statt, wobei die Tageslänge keine Bedeutung hat. Beide Geschlechter reagieren auf die obengenannten Umweltreize in gleicher Weise.
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3.
Die sekundären Geschlechtsmerkmale des Männchens können in völliger Abwesentheit des interstitiellen Gewebes auftreten. Das weist darauf hin, daß Testosteron auch außerhalb der Leydigschen Zellen produziert werden kann oder daß andere Hormone für das Auftreten des Hochzeitskleides verantwortlich sein können.
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4.
Hohe Populationsdichte (>1 Fisch/4 Liter) verhindert das Auftreten des Hochzeitskleides, auch wenn Leydigsche Zellen vorhanden sind. — Die Weibchen können sich nicht bis zur vollen Reife entwickeln, wenn die Männchen keine sekundären Geschlechtsmerkmale zeigen.
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Schneider, L. Experimentelle Untersuchungen über den Einfluß von Tageslänge und Temperatur auf die Gonadenreifung beim Dreistachligen Stichling (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Oecologia 3, 249–265 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00416987
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00416987