fulltext

Folia Zool. – 56(1): 90–96 (2007)
Development structure of ovaries in female white bream, Abramis
bjoerkna from Lake Kortowskie in North-Eastern Poland
Wiesława KOPIEJEWSKA1 and Jacek KOZŁOWSKI2
1
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, M. Oczapowski
St. 5, 10-967 Olsztyn, Poland; e-mail: w.kopiejewska@uwm.edu.pl
Department of Fish Biology and Culture, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Fisheries , University of
Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, M. Oczapowski St. 5, 10-967 Olsztyn, Poland; e-mail: cat@uwm.edu.pl
2
Received 1 August 2005; Accepted 19 March 2007
A b s t r a c t . Among white bream, Abramis bjoerkna from Lake Kortowskie in North-Eastern
Poland, some females showed characteristics of defined fertility while some females in the period
of vitellogenesis of the first and second batch of oocytes showed characteristics of undefined
fertility. Some females representing defined fertility showed characteristics of single spawning
during the reproduction season. The other females with both defined and undefined fertility
showed characteristics of batch spawning reproduction type. The results showed that female
white bream were characterized by diversified vitellogenetic activity. They showed linkages to
both the reproduction type with single spawning during the reproductive season and the type of
reproduction with batch spawning related to undefined fertility.
Key words: cyprinid, Abramis bjoerkna, development structure of ovaries, spawning pattern
Introduction
White bream, Abramis bjoerkna (L.) syn. Blicca bjoerkna (L.) belongs to the Cyprinidae:
Leuciscinae (N e l s o n 1994). It is widely spread in almost all bream type waters
(S z c z e r b o w s k i 1981) and phylogenetically is most closely related to bream, Abramis
brama (L.) (B r i o l a y et al. 1998, H ä n f l i n g & B r a n d l 2000). H ä n f l i n g &
B r a n d l (2000) think that the generally used genus Blicca with species Blicca bjoerkna –
white bream – the newer synonym Abramis should be included in the genus Abramis. They
state that white bream, Abramis bjoerkna (L.) and bream, Abramis brama (L.) are sister
species, which is defined as similar in morphology but isolated concerning reproduction
(J u r a & K r z a n o w s k a 1992: Biological Lexicon), or as a pair of species developed as
a result of the split between the parental species (http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/), or as a result
of one speciation (Multimedia general encyclopedia 2007).
Generally, fish species are characterized by a specific type of ovary organization,
fertility and spawning (M u r u a & S a b o r i d o - R e y 2003). White bream and
bream are defined as species with a group-synchronous development of oocytes and
batch and single spawning during the reproductive season respectively (M a r z a 1938,
P a p a d o p o l & I a n c u 1970, S t a t o v a 1970, B r y l i ń s k a & D ł u g o s z 1970,
W a l l a c e & S e l m a n 1981, A n d r e e v a 1983, S p i v a k 1987, R i n c h a r d &
K e s t e m o n t 1996, B r y l i ń s k a & T a d a j e w s k a 2000). However, females with
single spawning during the reproductive season have been recorded in populations of white
bream (T r y a p i t s y n a 1975, K o p i e j e w s k a 1996, 1997), while R i n c h a r d &
K e s t e m o n t (1996) suggested that white bream could be linked to the spawning model
with single spawning. Additionally, it was established that white bream forms hybrids with
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species such as roach Rutilus rutilus, bleak Alburnus alburnus, bream Abramis brama, rudd
Scardinius erythrophthalmus, blue bream Abramis ballerus (B r y l i ń s k a et al. 2006), and
among those hybrids the hybrids of white bream and bleak, as well as those of white bream
and bream, reach sexual maturity and are fertile (K u d e r s k i j 1956, N i k o l y u k i n
1972, K u t u z o v 1983).
This study aimed to obtain knowledge on the development structure of ovaries in the
white bream population in view of the abovementioned data.
Materials and Methods
The females of white bream for these studies were caught in Lake Kortowskie situated in a
region of the East Baltic – Belarus Lowland (K o n d r a c k i 2002).
During the years 2003–2004 a total of 126 white bream ovaries were examined. Middle
segments of the right and left parts of female fish gonads were fixed in buffer formalin,
dehydrated through a series of increasing concentrations of ethanol, defatted in chloroform
and embedded in paraffin. Sections 7 μm in thickness were stained with Delafield’s
hematoxylin and eosin (Z a w i s t o w s k i 1986).
The developmental stages of germinal cells and gonads were identified according
to S a k u n & B u t s k a y a (1968), W a l l a c e & S e l m a n (1981), T y l e r &
S u m p t e r (1996), M u r u a & S a b o r i d o - R e y (2003). The percentages of oocytes
at the cortical alveoli and vitellogenesis stage were determined using Abercrombie’s formula
(M a r r a b l e 1962):
N = n T / (T + D)
where N – number of oocytes, T – section thickness, D – arithmetic mean of the diameters of 20
oocytes at a given maturity stage, n – number of cross-sections of oocytes at a given maturity stage
in three serial sections of the right and left parts of gonads. A b e r c r o m b i e ’ s formula can
be successfully applied in this kind of research, as proved by K o p i e j e w s k a (2003).
Photographs of the cross-sections of gonads were taken with an Olympus digital camera. The
diameters of oocytes were measured under a MMI–2 microscope, with an accuracy of 0.005 mm.
Results
Vitellogenesis in the studied white bream population started during the spring period. During
the period preceding the reproductive season two groups of oocytes emerged: those in the
stage of final vitellogenesis or mature stage and those in the cortical alveoli (vacuolization)
stage (Fig. 1A-D, Table 1). The oocytes in the cortical alveoli stage were diversified in their
stages of development. In some females they were only in the final stage of development,
in some females in the final and early stages and in a few in the early stage of development
only. During the period when, in the oocytes of the oldest generation, vitellogenesis started
and progressed, the oocytes in the stage of cortical alveoli in some females were at the final,
medium and initial stage of development. The share of oocytes in the stage of cortical alveoli
in the pool of trophoplasmatic growth oocytes in females was diversified. In one female
the oocytes in the stage of cortical alveoli represented a minor percentage – 4.2, which
corresponded to single cross sections of such oocytes among vitellogenetic oocytes in crosssections of ovaries. In some females their maximum share was slightly over 50%. In two
91
ica
fca
v
ica
v
v
ica
fca
1B
1A
1C
pg
no
ms
pof
fca
v
1D
1E
pof
1F
ica
pg
a
1G
Fig. 1. Cross-sections of ovaries of white bream females in the pre-spawning and post-spawning season of 2003
and 2004 in Lake Kortowskie; A – oocytes at the final (fca) and initial (ica) stage of cortical alveoli in the ovaries of
a female collected on 20.05.2003, B – oocytes at the initial and middle stage of vitellogenesis (v) and oocytes at the
initial stage of cortical alveoli (ica) in the ovaries of a female collected on 20.05.2003, C – oocytes at the final stage
of vitellogenesis (v) and oocytes at the initial (ica) and final (fca) stage of cortical alveoli in the ovaries of a female
collected on 20.05.2003, D – oocytes at the mature stage (ms) and oocytes at the final stage of cortical alveoli (fca)
in the ovaries of a female collected on 25.06.2004, E – post-ovulatory follicles (pof) in the first spawning, oocytes
at the stage of vitellogenesis (v) – second portion of spawn, and oocytes at the cortical alveoli (ca) in the ovaries
a female collected on 09.06.2003, F – post-ovulatory follicles (pof) in the first spawning, non-ovulated oocytes
(no) and oocytes at the stage of primary growth (pg); absence of oocytes in cortical alveoli stage in the ovaries of
a female collected on 09.06.2003, G – Atrophy of non-ovulated oocytes (a) and oocytes at the stage of primary
growth (pg) in the ovaries of a female collected on 14.07.2004. Scale = 200 µm.
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93
13.7–21.5
13.4–26.8
17.5–22.0
8.1–33.0
9.3–146.1
19.5–36.5
24.7
20.2
28.4
8.8–10.0
8.6–10.8
9.6–10.0
7.3–11.6
7.7–18.0
10.0–11.7
10.3–10.5
9.7
11.2
1
1
2
2
15
27
2
7
4
n
285–740
320–690
440–670
–
390–570
Final stage vitellogenesis
565–1285
43.9–88.4
Final stage vitellogenesis
620–1140
40.9–80.5
Final stage vitellogenesis,
mature stage
800–1165
73.7–95.8
Final stage vitellogenesis,
mature stage
750–995
78.9–89.9
Final stage vitellogenesis,
mature stage
715–810
75.3
8.5
4.2–26.3
17.1–53.9
11.6–56.1
445–590
2.1
Initial vitellogenesis
+
Initial and middle stage of
vitellogenesis
Final stage vitellogenesis,
mature stage
745–955
44.0
+
%
Cortical alveoli stage of oocytes
Final
ص
%
420–685
87.9–94.8
Initial and middle stage of
vitellogenesis
ص
Cortical alveoli
Stage of the oocytes of the oldest
generation
+ presence of a given development stage of oocytes, – absence of a given development stage of oocytes
Body weight
g
Body length
SL cm
Table 1. Development stages of white bream oocytes in the pre-spawning season in Lake Kortowskie.
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
+
–
middle
245–435
250–305
250–395
–
225–385
–
+
+
Initial
ص
320–375
53.9
16.2
10.1–21.1
1.0–10.9
%
5.2–12.1
females in which the oocytes in the stage of cortical alveoli in the initial stage occurred they
only represented 10.1 and 21.1% of the total pool of trophoplasmatic growth oocytes.
After spawning, vitellogenesis started in the oocytes of the final stage of cortical alveoli.
In some females no oocytes in the stage of cortical alveoli were present and the oldest
generation the oocytes were in the stage of primary growth with sporadically present oocytes
in the initial stage of cortical alveoli (Fig. 1E-G, Table 2). During vitellogenesis of the second
batch of oocytes, in some females oocytes in the final and early stage of vacuolization were
present, in some the oocytes were in the early stage or in the middle stage of vacuolization
only, while in some females continuous vacuolization took place.
During the autumn, winter and spring, vacuolization occurred in the oldest oocytes.
In November and December, the oocytes most advanced in their development had 75%
vacuolized cytoplasm while in April vacuolization reached 75–100% of cytoplasm.
Table 2. Development stages of white bream oocytes in the post-spawning season in Lake Kortowskie.
Cortical alveoli stage of oocytes
final
middle
initial
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
Body length
SL cm
Body
weight g
n
Stage of the oocytes
of the oldest generation
9.6-10.5
9.3-12.1
9.5-21.5
10.3-12.9
10.5-11.1
9.4-9.8
8.3-11.0
17.1-22.9
17.2-32.2
18.3-236.5
20.4-47.5
23.4-28.6
16.5-18.3
12.3-26.3
9
4
6
5
2
2
9
Cortical alveoli
Cortical alveoli
Cortical alveoli
Vitellogenesis
Vitellogenesis
Vitellogenesis
Vitellogenesis
10.9-12.3
27.4-39.9
2
Final stage of vitellogenesis,
mature stage
+
+
+
9.4-15.0
18.7-77.5
7
Previtellogenesis, sporadically
initial stage of vacuolization
-
-
+
9.4-10.6
15.4-26.2
3
Previtellogenesis/atrophy of
non-ovulated oocytes
-
-
-
+ presence of a given development stage of oocytes, - absence of given development stage of oocytes
Discussion
The studies showed that in the population of white bream in Lake Kortowskie, similar to
the population of white bream in the Włocławek Reservoir in Poland (K o p i e j e w s k a
1996), in Kuchurganskij Liman in Russia (S t a t o v a 1970), in the delta of the Volga river
(T r y a p i t s y n a 1975) and in the some of the females in the Meuse river in Belgium
(R i n c h a r d & K e s t e m o n t 1996) vitellogenesis occurred during the spring. However,
in a few female white bream from the Meuse river (R i n c h a r d & K e s t e m o n t 1996)
and in the Kurshyu – Mares bay (K u b l i t s k a s 1968 in T r y a p i t s y n a 1975) presence
of vitellogenic oocytes was found during the period of autumn and winter. The presence
of oocytes in that stage during the autumn and winter season can indicate a high adaptive
flexibility of white bream to the environmental conditions as well as the similarity of those
females to the bream in the case of the first accumulations of yolk in oocytes which occur
during autumn (B r y l i ń s k a & D ł u g o s z 1970, A n d r e e v a 1983).
R i n c h a r d & K e s t e m o n t (1996) did not find new trophoplasmatic growth
oocytes in white bream from the Meuse river during the period preceding the reproductive
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season. In their study, during the period preceding the reproductive season new
trophoplasmatic growth oocytes were absent from the some of the females but were present
in others. The presence of females possessing no new trophoplasmatic growth oocytes
and females possessing new trophoplasmatic growth oocytes before the reproductive
season suggests that some females could have defined, and some undefined, fertility
(H u n t e r & G o l d b e r g 1980, H u n t e r et al. 1992). During vitellogenesis of the
first and second batch of oocytes, in the case of some females, vacuolization of oocytes was
group-synchronic, which indicates that those females could have defined fertility. On the
other hand, in the other females, vitellogenesis of the second batch of oocytes progressed
simultaneously with continuous vacuolization indicating asynchronic development of
oocytes and undefined fertility (H u n t e r et al. 1992, G r e e r W a l k e r et al. 1994).
The filling of almost all trophoplasmatic growth oocytes with yolk in one female before
the reproductive season and absence of those oocytes in some females after spawning
indicate that some females had single spawning during the reproductive season, which
confirmed the earlier studies concerning the presence of females with single spawning
during the reproductive season in populations of white bream (T r y a p i t s y n a 1975,
K o p i e j e w s k a 1996, 1997). The presence of females with single spawning during the
reproductive season indicates links of white bream with the single spawning reproduction
type characteristic of bream (B r y l i ń s k a & D ł u g o s z 1970, A n d r e e v a 1983).
Sexually mature hybrids of white bream and bream from Kuybyshev Reservoir showed
characteristics of batch spawning reproduction type (K u t u z o v 1983). Could the white
bream females with single spawning reproduction type in this study be hybrids of white
bream and bream ? That would require in-depth studies. N i k o l y u k i n (1972) and
K u t u z o v (1983) report that the morphological similarity of some individuals of hybrids
of white bream and bream to white bream is such that by mistake they can be taken for
white bream. On the other hand, M a n n et al. (1984) suggest that the number of batches
of spawn can be influenced by the productivity of the habitat and geographic latitude at
which the population lives. The potential reproduction can also be influenced by feeding
conditions (B r o o k s et al. 1997), age and body size during sexual maturing (M o r g a n
& H o e n i n g 1997).
Acknowledgements
The photographs were taken by A. K o r y z n o , University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn. The study was
supported by Project No 0208 University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn.
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