title: Preliminary results on the reproduction of a deep-sea snailfish Careproctus rhodomelas around the active hydrothermal vent on the Hatoma Knoll, Okinawa, Japan.
abstract: Deep-sea snailfish Careproctus rhodomelas were collected from an active hydrothermal vent using a remotely operated vehicle (R.O.V. Hyper-dolphin) and a pressurized device (Deep-Aquarium). Careproctus rhodomelas exhibited a cystovarian-type ovary containing a small number of developing oocytes at different stages, suggesting that the fish is a batch-spawner that spawns large eggs (c. 6·0 mm) several times within its life span. In vitro culture of the oocytes in the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin showed that oestradiol-17β production fluctuated with oocyte development, suggesting that the oocytes were at the vitellogenic stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Marine Sciences, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan. takemura@sci.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takemura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamotsu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology; D017753:Ecosystem; D004958:Estradiol / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012102:Reproductive Control Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D012102:Reproductive Control Agents; D004958:Estradiol