Histological and Histochemical Study of Oocyte Development in the Silver Pomfret, Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen), in Kuwait Waters PDF

Keywords

Kuwait, oocyte, silver pomfret, pampus argenteus

Abstract

Histological and histochemical studies of oocyte development in the silver pomfret, Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen), collected from the Kuwait waters of the Arabian Gulf, showed that the process of development is divided into four phases: (i) primary growth phase, (ii) secondary growth phase, (iii) oocyte maturation phase and (iv) oocyte atresia phase. The first two phases break into a series of sub-phases referred to as stages. Germ cells (oogonia) proliferate through mitotic divisions and are transformed into oocytes. Growth of the oocytes as a result of synthesis of vitelline substances eventually results in maturation. Lipid inclusions which appear in the primary growth phase oocytes are probably transient since they disappear before the oocytes enter the secondary growth phase. Three types of inclusions are formed during vitellogenesis. Lipid yolk accumulates first in the secondary oocytes as lipid vesicles, followed by protein yolk in the form of discrete protein yolk granules. The third type of inclusion is carbohydrate which is present in the zona radiata. While the protein yolk granules maintain their structural integrity through to maturation and coalesce only thereafter, the lipid yolk vesicles continually coalesce, forming a large lipid globule which migrates centripetally.