Reproductive biology of the sea cucumber Holothuria mammata (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Venâncio, Eliana; Félix, Pedro M.; Brito, Ana C.; Silva, Francisco Azevedo e; Simões, Tomás; Sousa, João; Mendes, Susana; Pombo, Ana

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/7580

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Authors

Venâncio, Eliana

Félix, Pedro M.

Brito, Ana C.

Silva, Francisco Azevedo e

Abstract(s)

Holothuria mammata is one of the most valuable species of sea cucumber, as well as one of the main target species harvested in the Mediterranean and NE-Atlantic regions. This study aims to describe the reproductive cycle of H. mammata in a coastal area of southwest Portugal. Monthly samplings were carried out for 19 months, with the concomitant collection of environmental data and biometric data. H. mammata had a sex ratio of 1:1.2 (male:female) and a size at first maturity of 142 mm for males and 167 mm for females. The gonadosomatic index (GI) peaked between April and May for both sexes. Gonad development started when days had a shorter photoperiod (9 to 13 h of sunlight) and lower seawater temperature (<15ºC), and spawning occurred later, with longer photoperiod (13 to 15 h of sunlight) and higher seawater temperature (>15ºC) and chlorophyll-a concentrations. The development of new studies to increase the biological and ecological knowledge of the populations of H. mammata is essential to create conditions for the domestication of broodstock in captivity, to allow the development of fishing regulations based on informed decisions and to create precise measures for the conservation of ecosystems.

Description

Funding: This work was supported by the Operational Programme Mar2020 MAR-02.01.01-FEAMP0052 “Newcumber-Avanços para o cultivo sustentável de pepinos do mar”. It received further financial support from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (project UIDB/04292/2020, A.C. Brito with the Scientific Stimulus Programme–CEECIND/00095/2017, A.P. with the under the Scientific Employment Stimulus-Institutional Call-CEECINST/00051/2018 and F.A.e.S. through the individual research grant 2020.09563.BD).

Keywords

Gametogenesis Gonad development stages First maturity Gonadosomatic index NE-Atlantic

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/7580

Citation

Venâncio, E.; Félix, P.M.; Brito, A.C.; Azevedo e Silva, F.; Simões, T.; Sousa, J.; Mendes, S.; Pombo, A. Reproductive Biology of the Sea Cucumber Holothuria mammata (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea). Biology 2022, 11, 622. https:// doi.org/10.3390/biology11050622