Reproductive Biology of the Horned Octopus Eledone cirrhosa (Lamarck, 1798) from the Mediterranean Sea off Alexandria, Egypt

Ibrahim Gaber and Mohamed Elghazaly

Background and Objective: The fishery resources play a leading role in the economy of coastal countries. Abundant pelagic and valuable demersal resources represent the country's main source of employment. This work selected the horned octopus Eledone cirrhosa from the Mediterranean Sea off Alexandria, Egypt to study sexual maturity indices, the histological study of the gonads of both sexes and measurement of six heavy metals in the seawater and the gonads. Materials and Methods: Sex ratio, GSI (Gonado-Somatic Index), RGS (Record Gonado-Somatic), VNI (Vas deferens Needham's sac Index), OGI (Oviduct Gland Index) and HI (Hayashi index) are measured monthly and their fluctuations are commented through UNIANOVA (ANCOVA) analysis; (METHOD=SSTYPE(3) and COVARIANCE P. Results: Males mature earlier than females. Seminiferous tubules show a centripetal sequence of spermatogonia, spermatocytes I, spermatocytes II, spermatids and spermatozoa. The histological picture of ovarian lobules, oocytes and accessory glands are commented. Both morphometric parameters and histological overviews highlight two periods of spawning: spring to summer spawning and fall spawning which is less intense. Males reached maturity in June to January, while spermiogenesis was intense until the moment of copulation. Vitellogenesis begins in November and extends to the next laying period. Gonadal development in females is non-synchronous and later than in males, about eight months for females and four months for males. Six metal elements were measured by spectrometry of Atomic Emission: Manganese, Cadmium, Iron, copper, zinc and lead and Measurements. Conclusion: Metal bioaccumulation in gonads affect the process of gametogenesis in Abu Qir bay where samples are less viable and fertile than those of Ras el Tin beach.

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