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Annual changes in testicular development and serum levels of androgen and progestins were investigated using captive male spotted halibut Verasper variegatus in order to obtain basic information on the reproductive physiology of this species. Based on the histological observation of testes, male maturity was divided into the following five stages: spermatogonial proliferation stage (July to September), early spermatogenic stage (October), late spermatogenic stage (November to December), functional maturation stage (January to March) and recovery stage (May). Spermatogenesis rapidly progresses during the autumn from October and December and continues until the functional maturation stage (spawning period of female). Serum levels of 11-ketotestosterone gradually increased from August and rapidly increased to a peak (2.8 ± 0.5 ng/mL) in November, suggesting that this steroid is involved in spermatogenesis in this species. Serum 17,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one levels showed a single small peak (0.55 ± 0.05 ng/mL) in November, suggesting the possibility of the involvement of this steroid hormone in the late spermatogenic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: The effects of giving oral estradiol-17β (E2 ) and 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) on gonadal sex differentiation in the F2 hybrid sturgeon, the bester (Huso huso female × Acipenser ruthenus male), are investigated. Giving E2 at 10 μg/g diet to fish from 14 months until 31 months of age induced incomplete feminization and resulted in approximately 40% abnormal ovary development in which oocytes were observed without ovarian lamellar structures and gonadal shape was similar to normal testis. Giving MT at 25 μg/g diet for the same duration failed to induce masculinization, and resulted in approximately 30% undeveloped gonads even at 30–37 months of age. In contrast, E2 and MT at only 1 μg/g diet given from 3 to 18 months of age was sufficient to induce feminization and masculinization, respectively. In these fish, feminization and masculinization were observed at 9 months, when most putative ovaries and testes were histologically distinguishable by the shape of the gonadal surface. These results indicate that sex reversal can be induced in these fish by hormone treatment that is started at 3 months age, before morphological differentiation occurs on the stroma of the gonads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: The present study investigates the relationship between testicular development and serum steroid hormone levels in captive Pacific herring Clupea pallasii during the first reproductive cycle. The maturity of the testis was divided into five periods based on histological observation. These are early spermatogenic stage (April to July), mid-spermatogenic stage (August to November), late spermatogenic stage (December to March), functional maturation stage (early April) and spent stage (late April). The pattern of seasonal change in gonadosomatic index (GSI) clearly reflected testicular maturity. 11-Ketotestosterone (11-KT) levels increased from October to a peak level (6.58 ± 1.87 ng/mL) in January, and were maintained at this level until March. In contrast, testosterone levels were consistently low, less than 1 ng/mL, at all times. These results suggest that 11-KT is the predominant androgen that controls spermatogenesis in this species. 17,20β-Dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP) showed a single sharp peak (3.38 ± 0.35 ng/mL) in early April of the second year, suggesting that milt production is induced by DHP as in some other teleost species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intact follicles of the bambooleaf wrasse were incubated with different radioactively labeled steroid precursors during final oocyte maturation (FOM), and the maturation-inducing hormone (MIH) of this species was examined to compare the activities of the steroid metabolites produced on germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) in vitro . Of the metabolites obtained by thin layer chromatography, two steroids, 17,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20β-P) and 17,20β,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (20β-S), both had the greatest effect on GVBD in vitro . During FOM, a shift in steroidogenic enzymes, a decrease in C17,20-lyase activity, and an increase in 20β-HSD activity were found. In addition to this shift, continuous high 21-hydroxylase activity throughout all the oocyte developmental stages was observed, and, in all likelihood, this 21-hydroxylase activity enables ovarian follicles to synthesize enough 17,21-P. Consequently, activated 20β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase converted 17-P and 17,21-P to 17,20β-P and 20β-S, respectively, during FOM. Thus, the present study not only provides evidence on the physiological role of 17,20β-P and 20β-S as MIH in the bambooleaf wrasse, but also details the enzymatic kinetics of 17,20β-P and 20β-S biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]