Gonad development of the deep-sea lobster Polycheles typhlops (Decapoda: Polichelidae) from the Central Western Mediterranean

CABIDDU, SERENELLA;FOLLESA, MARIA CRISTINA;GASTONI A;PORCU, CRISTINA;CAU, ANGELO

2008-01-01

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Abstract

In this paper, we report data related to the reproductive biology of a cosmopolitan mesobathyal lobster, Polycheles typhlops (Decapoda: Polychelidae), caught in the Sardinian waters between 400 and 1400 m of depth. Macroscopic and microscopic analyses were performed on 1104 females and 895 males. The observation on the gonads leads us to conclude that there are seven and four stages of development for the females and for males, respectively. Monthly variations of the percentage distribution related to various stages of development of the ovary and the presence of ovigerous females indicated that the species does not seem to follow a marked seasonal reproductive model, with a long main period for egg hatching that seems to occur between spring and autumn.