Reproductive cycle of Zidona dufresnei (Caenogastropoda: Volutidae) from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean

GIMENEZ, J.; PENCHASZADEH, P. E.

MARINE BIOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2002 vol. 140 p. 755 - 761

0025-3162

Gonadal development of Zidona dufresnei(Donovan, 1823) (Caenogastropoda: Volutidae) wasstudied over a period of two consecutive years, throughanalysis of gonadal tissue. Individuals were sampledmonthly at the Mar del Plata area, Argentina.Gonadosomatic index was estimated for males andoocyte size was used to estimate the stage of gonadaldevelopment in females. The reproductive season in thisspecies in the sampled locality extended from October toMarch (austral spring?summer). During summer, astage of advanced gonadal development and spawningpredominated in the adult population. In autumn,gonads were generally under atresia; during wintertime(June?August), they underwent a period of recovery thatlasted until the spring months, when gametes werereleased again. Synchronism between both sexes wasevident. Marked periods of spawning were followed byresorption periods and then a growing phase; it was veryclear that reproductive seasonality was linked to changesin bottom water temperature. These results suggest thatZ. dufresnei gonads have a yearly cycle of gamete production,with two major activity peaks in September?October and January?February.