The objective of this study was to compare the ovary development of ablated and non-ablated females of Pleoticus muelleri and to evaluate the influence of eyestalk ablation on molting frequency. The females (7-22 g weight) were maintained under culture conditions with 12: 12 fotoperiod, 15-17ºC temperature and 31%0 salinity. They were fed on fresh squid, prawn and clam. The ovaries and digestive glands were weighed and fixed for histological examination at 4,9, 15,20, 40, and 50 days. Gonad index varied between 0.925 and 3.747 (control) and 1.457 and 5.035 (ablated). The digestive gland index ranged from 2.059 to 4.520 (control) and 3.471 to 4.471 (ablated). The intermolt duration was 21.7 :j: 3.9 and 23.2 :j: 2.4 for the control and ablated respectively. At the end of the experiment the ovaries of ablated females were mature and those of the control were in primary vitellogenesis. It was concluded that the eyestalk ablation in P. muelleri resulted in precocious maturation of the ovary without changes in the molting frequency. The ovary index was size-independent. Ablation had no effect on the relative weight of digestive gland.
Ovarian maturation; Molt; Culture; Crustacea; Penaeoidea