Seasonal Gonadal Cycle of the Seven Species of Freshwater Unionidae ( Pelecypoda : Unionoida )

담수산 석패와 7종의 발생시기에 관한 연구

The unionid family Unionidae contains several genera in Korea, among which occru considerable variations in life histories and sexual conditions. Seven species from the Korea(Anodonta arcaeformis flavotincta, A. woodiana, Unio douglaseae, U. douglasiae sinuolatus, Lamprotula gottschei, Lanceolaria acrorhyncha, Solenaia triangularis)were stueide in order to identify and describe the seasonal gonadal activity and the visceral sex. The gonads of seven species were histologically examined by using the paraffin block technique for sectioning. All seven species were uniformly dioecious and testicular activity in six species except one species, S. triangularis, generated sperm-morulae(multinucleated cell). The annual reproductive cycle of the seven species could be classified into five successive stages; multicative, growing, mature, spent, deginerative and resting stages. The breeding season of six species was the summer and that of A. a. flavotincta was the winter.