Kinetics of Oögenesis and Spawning Strategy of the Red Spiny Lobster Palinurus elephas

The reproductive strategy of red spiny lobster Palinurus elephas from the north coast of Tunisia was investigated. We examined oogenesis of P. elephas by studying the histology of the ovaries. Seven growth substages of oocytes were distinguished: 1) early primary oocyte, St1; 2) late primary oocyte, St2; 3) primary vitellogenic oocyte, St3; 4) early secondary vitellogenic oocyte, St4; 5) late secondary vitellogenic oocyte, St5; 6) hyaline oocyte, St6; and 7) atretic oocyte, Atr. The kinetics of oogenesis of females is characterized by six successive ovarian development phases: Juvenile, sexual resting, beginning of vitellogenesis, vitellogenesis, spawning and post-spawning and recuperation. The oocyte diameter frequency distributions were established for each mature female sampled and fitted by a Weibull function: . At the mature ovarian phases, two populations of oocytes were distinguished; a fairly synchronous population of large vitellogenic oocytes (St3 or St4 or St5), and a heterogeneous pop...