Abstract

KIEWEK-MARTINEZ, Margarita; GRACIA-LOPEZ, Vicente  and  RODRIGUEZ-JARAMILLO, Carmen. Evidence of sexual transition in Leopard Grouper (Mycteroperca rosacea) individuals held in captivity. Hidrobiológica [online]. 2010, vol.20, n.3, pp.213-221. ISSN 0188-8897.

This study describes histological observations of the gonads of 12 captive leopard grouper, M. rosacea maintained in captivity. Monthly gonad samples during February to April 2003, were obtained by catheterization and analyzed to determine sex and degree of ovarian development. Oocytes were classified into 5 stages of development and the frequencies were obtained to describe the oocyte distribution in the ovary. Two fish that were females in February were in a bisexual stage in March and functional males in April. The transitional stage was observed during the reproductive season and included degeneration of primary oocytes and proliferation of spermatogonia.

Keywords : Gonad development; leopard grouper; captivity.