Reproductive aspects of Sphoeroides greeleyi (Gilbert), Tetraodontidae, from gamboa do Baguaçu, Paranaguá, State of Paraná, Brazil

The present study analyses the reproductive aspects of Sphoeroides greeleyi (Gilbert, 1900), such as morphology and histochemistry of carbohydrates in the oogenesis phases, maturity scale, time and type of spawn, sexual rate and first ripened mature size for females. From the monthly captured animais (Nov 1998 to Nov 1999) the morphometric data (entire length and total weight) were extracted and the sex and the gonadal maturity were determined. Some ovaries were prepared for microscopic analysis that charac-terized six phases for the development of the ovarian folheies. Through the carbohydrates analysis the acid carbohydrates could be related to the oogenesis maintenance and the neutral carbohydrates to the beginning of embryonic development. A maturity scale containing six stages of gonadal development was determined. The reproductive period is between August and January and the spawn time is from October to January. The first ripened mature size for females oceurs between 6,5cm and 7.5 cm of total length. The sexual rate shows that there are more females than males during the reproductive period.

Fish; reproduetion; histology; histochemistry