Table 1 Scale adopted for Helicolenus dactylopterus dactylopterus maturity stage assignments
Maturity stages | Females | Males |
|---|---|---|
Immature | Ovaries small and translucent; without visible oocytes | Testes small, thin, and translucent |
Development | Ovaries are larger, opaque, consistent, with rose or orange color; visible oocytes | Testes larger, flattened dorsoventrally, consistent, and whitish in color |
Spawning | Ovaries are larger and well vascularized, orange color, the hydrated oocytes are well visible, when present, the gelatinous matrix consists in a translucent and thick mass with small punctuations (oocytes and embryos) | Testes are whitish in color, full of sperm that runs when abdomen is pressed |
Post-Spawning | Ovaries with size similar to stages II/III, opaque, flaccid, with some vascularization; residual oocytes and gelatinous matrix remainders are visible | Testes are flaccid, smaller, with bloody aspect. Can present some residual sperm |