Resumen

VILLALEJO-FUERTE, Marcial; ARELLANO-MARTINEZ, Marcial; CEBALLOS-VAZQUEZ, B. Patricia  y  GARCIA-DOMINGUEZ, Federico. Ciclo reproductivo de la almeja chocolata Megapitaria squalida (Sowerby, 1835) (Bivalvia: Veneridae) en Bahía Juncalito, Golfo de California, México. Hidrobiológica [online]. 2000, vol.10, n.2, pp.165-168. ISSN 0188-8897.

The reproductive cycle of Megapitaria squalida was described in Bahía Juncalito, Gulf of California from November 1995 to May 1997. Common histologic techniques were applied and general condition factor was calculated. The population sexual proportion was 1F:1M. The length range was 47.1-93.3 mm. Histologic analysis reveal that M. squalida is a gonochoric species which presents a synchronic gonad development. The phases of maturity and spawn were present during the whole period of study (in different proportions) for that is assumed that species reproduces all the year in Bahía Juncalito. They were interannual differences attributable to environmental changes caused by the El Niño phenomenon. The condition of the organisms has an inverse relationship with the degree of maturity. The results are compared with those founded in other localities.

Palabras llave : Reproduction; bivalves; Megapitaria squalida; Gulf of California.