• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.423-435
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• 1984

The reproductive cycle of the small filefish, Rudarius ercodes was investigated based on the annual variations of gonadosomatic index(GSI) and hepatosomatic index(HSI) by electronic and photic microscophy. The specimens used were collected at the coastal area of Benden island, Sizuokagen, Japan, from September 1982 to August 1983. GSI began to increase from March, starting season of longer daylength and higher water temperature, and reached the maximum value between June and August. It began to decrease from September with the lowest value appearing between November and February without any evident variation. The annual variations of HSI were not distinct in male filefish and were negatively related to GSI in female : HSI decreased in the summer season when the ovary was getting mature and reached the maximum in the winter season when the ovary was getting retrogressive. The ovary consisted of a pair of saccular structure with numerous ovarian sacs branched toward the median cavity. Oogonia divided and proliferated along the germinal epithelium of the ovarian sac. Young oocytes with basophile cytoplasm showed several scattering nucleoli along the nuclear membrane. when the oocytes growing to about 300 ${\mu}m$, nuclear membrane to disappear with nucleus migrating toward the animal pole. The regions of protoplasm were extremely confined within the animal hemisphere in which most of cytoplasms were filled with yolk materials and oil drops. After ovulation, residual follicles and growing oocytes remaining in the ovarian sacs degenerated. But perinucleatic young oocytes without follicles formed were not degenerated, and growing continuously still in the next year. Mitochondria and endoplasmic reticula in the cytoplasm remarkably increased with oocytes maturing and yolk accumulating. Those were considered to be functionally related to the yolk accumulation. Five or six layers of possible vitellogenin, oval-shaped disc structures with high electron density, appeared in the apex of follicular processes stretching to the microvilli pits of mature oocytes. Testis consisting of a pair of lobular structures in the right and left were united in the posterior seminal vesicle, Cortex of testis was composed of several seminiferous tubules, and medulla consisting of many sperm ducts connected with tubules. Steroid hormone-secreting cells with numerous endoplasmic reticula and large mitochondria of well developed cristae were recognized in the interstitial cells of the growing testis. Axial filament of spermatozoon invaginated deeply in the central cavity of the nucleus and the head formed U-shape with acrosome severely lacking, mitochondria formed large globular paranuclei at the posterior head, and microtubular axoneme of the tail represented 9+9+2 type. The annual reproductive cycles could be divided into five successive stages : growth(March to July), maturation(May to September), Spawning(mid May to early October) and resting stages(October to February). The spawning peak occurred from June to August.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.333-345
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• 2001

The mature sperms of three species of cephalopods (Octopus minar, Octopus ocellatus, Todarodes pacificus) were observed by electron microscopy. The results obtained are as follows: The sperm lengths of Octopus minor and Octopus ocellatus of octopods are long and they are about $390{\mu}m$ and $125\sim130{\mu}m$, respectively, but the sperm length of Todarodes pacificus is short and about $35{\mu}m$. The sperm of Octopus minor has a helical acrosome and a head bent a little like a banana while Octopus ocellatus of octopod has a twisted acrosome and a long rod-shaped head. A number of horizontal stripes are observed as a periodic structure in their subacrosome cavities and dense plugs are formed in the cavities of their heads. On the other hand, the acrosome of Todarodes pacificus is circular cap-shaped, and its head is long and oval. It is notable that two small cavities were observed in its basal acrosome. Juxtanuclear acrosomal materials of high electron density filled the subacrosomal cavity. In the middle piece of mature sperms of Octopus minor and Octopus ocellatus, the mitochondria form the mitochondrial sleeve, but the numbers of mitochondria differ between the species so that they are $11\sim12$ and $8\sim9$, respectively. Meanwhile, in the middle piece of mature sperms of Todarodes pacificus, the mitochondria are separated from the axoneme, forming a mitochondrial spur in which $10\sim13$ mitochondria and some electron dense materials concentrate. The axoneme of Octopus minor, Octopus ocellatus and Todarodes pacificus are of 9+2 type in common, surrounded by 9 coarse fibres. A number of glycogen were observed only in the axoneme of Todarodes pacificus. The coarse fibres were found as far as the main piece of sperm tail in Octopks minor and Todarodes pacificus, while to the end piece of sperm tail in Octopus ocellatus.