A macroscopic and stereological imaging dataset of Pleuronectes platessa ovaries

Carine Sauger,Mélanie Lepoittevin,Laurent Dubroca,Nicolas Elie,Kristell Kellner,Clothilde Heude-Berthelin,Jérôme Quinquis

doi:10.1038/s41597-020-0505-8

Abstract

The North Sea plaice, Pleuronectes platessa (Linnaeus, 1758), is a commonly studied commercial flatfish with poorly known ovarian histology. The following dataset is a collection of female plaice gonad images and their corresponding histological slides, collected during a complete season of the plaice’s reproduction cycle. Stereology was used to determine the percentage of different structures found throughout the ovaries. Inter-agent calibrations were accomplished in order to harmonize the stereological readings, and were based on a comprehensive reading protocol and histological lexicon that were specifically written for the plaice’s ovaries. The distribution and homogeneity of the different cell types found throughout the ovaries were also evaluated. This dataset can be used to automate the stereological reading process (through statistical learning methods for example) or to objectively determine the plaice’s maturity phase, and link that information to either macroscopic measurements or through image analysis of the full ovaries.

Highlights

Background & SummaryIn stock assessments, the reproductive capacity of a commercial fish species is a key parameter for fisheries management plan
The reproductive capacity of a commercial fish species is a key parameter for fisheries management plan
The maturity cycle of certain fish species is poorly known[6], the determination of maturity phases can show great variability between assessing operators[7,8], there are numerous terminologies to describe the ichthyological reproductive system[4,5,9], and maturity scales are in constant evolution and differ from one institution to another[5]

Summary

Introduction

Background & SummaryIn stock assessments, the reproductive capacity of a commercial fish species is a key parameter for fisheries management plan. The maturity cycle of certain fish species is poorly known[6], the determination of maturity phases can show great variability between assessing operators[7,8], there are numerous terminologies to describe the ichthyological reproductive system[4,5,9], and maturity scales are in constant evolution and differ from one institution to another[5]. This led the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) to work on harmonizing the definitions, terminologies and practices used to determine these different maturity phases[9]

Objectives

Findings

Methods