THE STATE OF GONADS OF GREY MULLETS MUGIL SA LIENS RISSO MUGIL CAPITO CUY. LEAVING THE EGYPTIAN LAKES FOR SPAWNING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA.

THE STATE OF GONADS OF GREY MULLETS MUGIL SA LIENS RISSO

MUGIL CAPITO CUY. LEAVING THE EGYPTIAN LAKES

FOR SPAWNING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA.

KH. A. HUSSEIN AND A.A. AIASS.

Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Alexandria.
ABSTRA.CT
The examined ovaries of female Hugil saliens and M. capito were
obtained during the period of lake-sea migration for spawning.
As many other catadromus fishes inhabiting the Egyptian northern
delta lakes, M. saliens and M. capito wen! shown to leave the lake
in the period of pre-spawning with nearly ripe ovaries (stage IV
of maturation).
Classification of the nearly ripe condition into three
distinguished stages viz. IVa, IVb, and rvc, revealed that the
mesohaline species M. saliens leaves the lake with less developed
ovaries (stage IVa). M. capito, on the other hand, which is more
tolerant to the variations in water salinity, leaves the lake with
more developed ovaries (stage IVb and. IVc). On attaining such degree
of ovarian development M. capito was considered as a candidate
for induced spawning.