title: Initial sexual maturity and fecundity of the goldfish Carassius auratus (Perciformes: Cyprynidae) under semi-controlled conditions.
abstract: We studied the time of initial sexual maturity and the fecundity of the goldfish Carassius auratus under semi-controlled conditions. During the study the water temperature fluctuated from 21 to 30 degrees C, the pH between 7 and 8, and the dissolved oxygen between 5.5 and 7 ppm. Sixty days old juvenile fish received prophylactic treatments of brackish water (15 per thousand) and methylene blue baths (1%), and they were fed with live Daphnia magna. The initial sexual maturity occurred between 225 and 233 days of captivity. Mean absolute fecundity was 2,347 (+/- 302.2 SD) ova per gonad, and mean relative fecundity was 63.44 eggs/g fish weight. Gonadosomatic index was between 7.5 and 9.0. Our data will allow ornamental fish producers to calculate the time of initial maturity and fecundity for this species.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, UNAM, Calzada Joel M. Camarena s/n, Mazatlán 82240, Sinaloa Apdo, Post: 811, México. ortsal@mar.icmyl.unam.mx
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ortega-Salas
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reyes-Bustamante
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D006054:Goldfish / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors