Reproductive cycle of the Common sole Solea vulgaris QUENSEL, 1806, in the northern Adriatic Sea

Abstract

      Anatomical and cytological modifications of the ovary of Solea vulgaris QUENSEL from the northern Adriatic Sea were studied over a one-year period. Seven stages of ovarian development were observed. The gonadosomatic index increased rapidly during the reproductive season from December to March, when the majority of oocyte growth (>200 µm in diameter) occurred. Hydrated oocytes immediately before spawning reach 1360 µm. During spring, summer and autumn (from April to November) previtellogenic oocytes (<200 µm) occurred.