Abstract
Information regarding sexual maturity and reproductive cycles in skates has largely been based on gross morphological changes within the reproductive tract. While this information has proved valuable in obtaining life history information, it also necessitates sacrificing the skates to obtain this data. In contrast, few studies have used circulating steroid hormones to establish when these batoids become reproductively capable or for the determination of reproductive cyclicity. This study summarizes our current knowledge of hormonal analyses in determining skate reproductive status and offers information that suggests analysis of circulating steroid hormone concentrations provide a means to determine size at sexual maturity and asses reproductive cycles without the need to sacrifice the skate.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 285-292 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Environmental Biology of Fishes |
Volume | 80 |
Issue number | 2-3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2007 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Estradiol
- Non-lethal technique
- Reproduction
- Sexual maturity
- Skate
- Testosterone
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Aquatic Science