Sexuality in three South American Atlantic species of genus Aequipecten

PENCHASZADEH, PABLO Y JULIANA GIMÉNEZ

Coquimbo, Chile

Workshop; 13th International Pectinid Workshop; 2001

Aequipcten lineolaris from the Venezuelan Caribbean and A. felipponei and A. madrynensis from northern argentinian Patagonian Gulfs (Nuevo and San Jose) were studied. Gonads were anaked histologically to study its structure. The three studied species resulted to be simultaneous nermaphrodites. There are several partial spawning events through the year in the tropical A. Iineolaris, while in A. feliopponei and A. madrynensis there is a definite breeding season in spring  (september-december). There is no resting period in the tropical A. lineolaris, with several partial spawning during the year, while in A. felipponei it seems that there is a simultaneous recovery process with maturation and spawning wich gives the structure of a species with no resting gonadal period. A. madrynensis seems to have a definite season of reproduction during austral spring-summer, with an almost complete resting period during fall and a recuperation period in winter.