ISSN 2375-0715
African Journal of Fisheries Science ISSN 2375-0715 Vol. 8 (7), pp. 001-004, July, 2020. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Test and gonad characteristics in different genders of cultivated sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus intermedius, Agassiz): First insight into sexual identification
Chong Zhao, Weijie Zhang, Yaqing Chang* and Pingjin Liu
Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian-116023, China.
Accepted 08 May, 2020
Abstract
Ten test and gonad characters in both genders of cultured sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus intermedius, Agassiz) were investigated for sexual identification and sex ratio. Both test (test height-diameter ratio) and gonad characters (gonad index, gonad color and gonad moisture content) were significantly different between male and female sea urchins. For the first time, we report that cultivated female sea urchins are flatter than males. This could provide some new insight into the sexual identification of S. intermedius. The sex ratio of cultured sea urchins kept 1:1 at the density of 5 × 103g/m3, suggests that land-based aquaculture of sea urchins at a density of 5 × 103g/m3 can keep the balanced equilibrium on the sex ratio.
Key words: Strongylocentrotus intermedius, test height-diameter ratio, sexual identification, sex ratio in aquaculture.