• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.65-76
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• 2013

We investigated the gametogenic cycle and spawning seasons of the male Chlamys (Azumapecten) farreri nipponensis by qualitative and quantitative analyses, and also the size at 50% of group sexual maturity was calculated by the data of first sexual maturity. In this study, the male gametogenic cycle of this species by qualitative analysis was divided into five successive stages: early active stage (January to March), late active stage (March to April), ripe stage (April to August), partially spawned stage (July to September), and spent/inactive stage (August to January). The male gametogenic cycle showed similar patterns with monthly changes in the gonadosomatic index and condition index. Particularly, spawning in male scallop occurred once a year from July to September, unlike the spawning period of this species (from June to August) reported by the previous researchers. In quantitative statistical analysis using an image analyzer system, the patterns of monthly changes in the percent (%) of the areas occupied by spermatogenic stages to the testis areas in males showed a maximum in June, and then sharply dropped from July to September, 2006. From these data, it is apparent that the spawning season of C. (A.) farreri nipponensis occurred once per year from July to early September, indicating a unimodal gametogenic cycle during the year. Shell heights at 50% of group sexual maturity (RM50) fitted to an exponential equation were estimated to be 49.90 mm in males (considered to be one year old), and it was 100% for male scallops over 61.0 mm (considered to be two years old).

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.352-357
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• 2003

Gonadal development and gametogenic cycle of the equilateral venus, Gomphina collected in the coastal waters of Gangneung, Gangwon-do, Korea were investigated by means of histological method from March 2001 to February 2002. Sex of the clam was dioecious. The gonads are composed of a number of gametogenic follicles. The gonad index (GI) was reached the maximum in June (3.87), and the minimum in August (0.66). The condition index (CI) was reached the maximum in May (0.051), and the minimum in January (0.028). The gametogenic cycle of the clam could be divided into five stages inactive (September to November), early active (November to March), late active (April to May), ripe (June and July) and spent/degenerative stage (July to August). Sex ratio (male/female) was 1:0.9.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.398-403
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• 2006

Gonad development and the gametogenic cycle of pen shells, Atrina pectinata, collected from November 2004 to October 2005 in the coastal waters of Jangheung, Jeollanam-do, Korea were investigated histologically. The clams are dioecious. The gonads consist of a number of gametogenic follicles. The sex ratio (Female:male) was 1:1.2. The gonad index (GI) reached a maximum in May and a minimum in July. The condition index (CI) reached a maximum in April and a minimum in June. The gonadosomatic index (GSI), GI and CI all increased with gonad development. The gametogenic cycle of the clam could be divided into five stages: the degenerative/inactive (August to October), early active (November to March), late active (December to April), ripe (May to June) and spent (June to July) stage.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.245-251
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• 2003

Sexual maturation and gametogenic cycle of the hard shelled mussel, Mytilus coruscus were investigated by means of histological method. Specimens were collected monthly in Hansan Bay of south coast, Korea from January to December 2002. Sex of the clam was dioecious. The gonads are composed of a number of gametogenic follicles. The gonad index (GI) was reached the maximum in February (3.40), and the minimum in August (1.18). The monthly variation of condition index (CI) coincides with gonad index. The main spawning occurs between February and March. The gametogenic cycle of the clam could be divided into six stages: resting (August to November), multiplicative (November to December), growing (December to January), maturation (January to February), partially spent (February to April) and completely spent/degenerative stage (April to July). Sex ratio (♀/♂) was 1:0.96.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.51-58
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• 2003

The gonadal development and the gametogenic cycle and the fine structure of ripe germ cells of the cultured Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas were investigated using oysters monthly collected from the southern coast of Korea from October 2000 to September 2001. Monthly changes in the condition index were similar to that of meat weight rate and the highest value was observed in between April and May, and the lowest value in August. The external colors of the testis and the ovary were milky white and yellowish, respectively. The spawning period of the Pacific oyster was continued from May to September, with a peak in July. The gametogenic cycle could be classified into five successive stages: multiplicative stage (December to March), growing stage (March and April), mature stage (April to June), spawning stage (June to August) and resting stage (August to January). Variety of egg yolk granules, lipid granules, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticula were observed in cytoplasm of ripe oocyte. The spermatozoon consisted of the head, middle piece and tail; including cap-shaped acrosome with domed structure, elliptical shaped nucleus, four mitochondria, two centrioles and flagellum.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.245-254
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• 2010

For the studies of germ cell development and maturation in the ovary, the gametogenic cycle and the number of spawning seasons per year in female Ruditapes philippinarum were investigated by quantitative statistical analysis using an Image Analyzer System. Compared with the results by qualitative and quantitative analyses, monthly variations in female gonad indice by qualitative histological analysis showed a pattern similar to that of the female gametogenic cycle calculated by quantitative statistical analysis. The number of spawning seasons occurred once per year, from June to October. In quantitative statistical analysis using an image analyzer system, monthly changes in the portions (%) of the ovary area to total tissue areas in females increased in March and reached a maximum in May, and then showed a rapid decrease from June to October when spawning occurred. And also monthly changes in portions (%) of follicle areas to the ovary area and in portions of oocyte areas to ovarian tissue areas in females began to increase in March and reached a maximum in May, and then. rapidly dropped from June to October when spawnig occurred. From these data, it is apparent that the number of spawning seasons occurred once per year, from June to October. Monthly changes in the number of the oocyte per $mm^2$ and in mean diameter of the oocyte in captured image which were calculated for each female slide showed a maximum in May and reached the minimum from December to February. Therefore, female R. philippinarum showed a unimodal gametogenic cycle during the year.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.261-271
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• 2011

The gametogenic cycle, the spawning season and the biological minimum sizes in female and male Protothaca (Notochione) jedoensis were investigated by quantitative statistical analysis. In females, monthly changes in the percents of the follicle areas to the ovarian tissue areas and the percents of the oocyte areas to the ovarian tissue areas increased in February and reached the maximum in April, and then gradually decreased from May to July, with the spawning peak between June and July. In males, monthly changes in the percents of the testicular tissue areas to total tissue areas and the percents of the spermatogenic stage areas to the testicular tissue areas increased in February and reached the maximum in April, and then showed a rapid decrease from May to July. From these data, it is apparent that the number of spawning seasons in female and male P. (N.) jedoensis occurred once a year, from May to July. Therefore, P. (N.) jedoensis in both sexes showed a unimodal gametogenic cycle during the year. Compared the gametogenic cycle by quantitative statistical analysis in 2007 with the previous qualitative results of this species, the results of the gametogenic cycle calculated by quantitative statistical analysis showed some differentiations in the spawning seasons evaluated by the gonad index by qualitative histological analysis. The intervals of the beginning of two spawning seasons showed one month between the results of quantitative and qualitative analyses. The biological minimum sizes (considering to 50% of group sexual maturity) in female and male clams by quantitative analysis of this species are 32.01 mm in shell length in females and 30.58 mm in males, respectively. According to the mean shell length fitted to von Bertalanffy's equation, 30.58 and 32.01 mm in shell length were considered to be two years old. Therefore, we assume that both sexes of this population begin reproduction from two years of age.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.43-53
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• 2011

The gametogenic cycle and the spawning season in female and male Cyclina sinensis were investigated by quantitative statistical analysis using an image analyzer system, and the biological minimum size (the size at 50% of sexual maturity) was calculated by combination of quantitative data by size and von Bertalanffy's equation. Compared the gametogenic cycle by quantitative statistical analysis with the previous qualitative results in female and male C. sinensis, monthly changes in female and male gametogenic cycles calculated by quantitative statistical analysis showed similar patterns to the gonadal stages in female and male reproductive cycles by qualitative histological analysis. Comparisons of monthly changes in the portions (%) of each area to eight kinds of areas by quantitative statistical analysis in the gonads in female and male C. sinensis are as follows. Monthly changes in the portions (%) of the ovary areas to total tissue areas in females and also monthly changes in the portions of the testis areas to total tissue areas in males increased in March and reached the maximum in May, and then showed a rapid decrease from June to October. Monthly changes in the portions (%) of oocyte areas to ovarian tissue areas in females and also monthly changes in the portions of the areas of the spermatogenic stages to testis areas in males began to increase in March and reached the maximum in June in females and males, and then rapidly dropped from July to October in females and males when spawnig occurred. From these data, it is apparent that the number of spawning seasons in female and male C. sinensis occurred once per year, from July to October. Monthly changes in the number of the oocytes per mm2 and in the mean diameter of the oocyte in captured image which were calculated for each female slide showed a maximum in May and reached the minimum from December to February. Therefore, C. sinensis in both sexes showed a unimodal gametogenic cycle during the year. The percentage of sexual maturity of female and male clams ranging from 25.1 to 30.0 mm in length was over 50% and 100% for clams over 40.1 mm length. In this study, the biological minimum size (sexually mature shell lengths at 50% of sexual maturity) in females and males were 26.85 and 26.28 mm, respectively.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.363-375
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• 2012

The gametogenic cycle, the number of spawning seasons per year and first sexual maturiity of the pen shell, Atrina (Servatrina) pectinata, were investigated by quantitative statistical analysis using an Image Analyzer System. Compared two previous results (the spawning periods in the reproductive cycles in 1998 and 2006) by qualitative histological analysis with the present results by quantitative statistical analysis, there are some differences in the spawning periods: the spawning period (June to September) by quantitative statistical analysis was one month longer than those of two previous reports (June to July or June to August) by qualitative histological analysis. However, the number of spawning seasons studied by the qualitative and quatitative analyses occurred once per year. In quantitative statistical analysis using an image analyzer system, the patterns of monthly changes in the percent (%) of the areas occupied by follicles to the ovary area in females (or that of the areas occupied by spermatogenic stages to the testis area in males) showed a maximum in May, and then sharply droped from June to September, 2006. From these data, it is apparent that the spawning season of A. (S.) pectinata occurred once a year from June to September, indicating a unimodal gametogenic cycle during the year. Shell heights of sexually mature pen shells (size at 50% of group sexual maturity, $GM_{50}$) that were fitted to an exponential equation were 15.81 cm in females and 15.72 cm in males (considered to be one year old).

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.135-144
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• 2012

$Dendronephthya$ $castanea$ Utinomi, 1952 is a member of the family Nephtheidae, and dominates shallow waters adjacent to the southern part of Jejudo Island, Korea. This species is a gonochoric internal brooder with a sex ratio of 1:1, and releases planulae around the time of the full and new moon from July to September, when the seawater temperature peaks. The gametogenic cycle is annual, and oogenesis (12 months) is longer than spermatogenesis (4-5 months). No difference in reproductive features including sexuality, sex ratio, gametogenesis and gametogenic cycles was found between the sympatric species $D.$ $castanea$ and $D.$ $gigantea$, and there was no temporal reproductive isolation. Investigation of the morphological taxonomy and molecular biology of these species indicates that they have very similar or identical traits, suggesting an absence of speciation and a need for taxonomic reclassification.