title: Gonad maturation of Haemulon plumieri (Teleostei: Haemulidae) in Ceará state, Northeastern Brazil.
abstract: To elucidate the reproductive cycle of any animal, it is first necessary to understand the development of the germ cells and how this process occurs throughout the reproductive tract. Thus, the aim of the present study was to understand the oogenesis and spermatogenesis, as well as the ovarian and testis maturation and type of spawning, of Haemulon plumieri. A total of 119 females and 136 males were analysed. Based on micro and macroscopic characteristics of gonads, the following stages of maturation for females were determined: immature, maturing, ripe, partially spawning, spawning and resting. For males, only the stages immature, maturing, ripe and spent were observed. We can conclude that the ovarian development occurs cyclically, in which the female can spawn more than two times during the reproductive season with the spawning "synchronous in more than two groups". Since males do not present the "rest" stage after copulation, the maturation process is continuous.
authors.affiliation: Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Talhada, Laboratório de Biologia Pesqueira, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco - UFRPE, Fazenda Saco, s/n, CP 063, CEP 56900-000, Serra Talhada, PE, Brazil. renataasm@gmail.com
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Shinozaki-Mendes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santander-Neto
authors.forename: J R F
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: F H V
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Hazin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006066:Gonads / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D010473:Perciformes / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development*; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*