Structural characteristics of gonadal development and hermaphroditic phenomenon in freshwater pearl mussel, Sinohyriopisis schlegelii (Hyriopisis schlegelii).

Abstract

The period of gonads development was first studied from one to five years in the freshwater pearl mussel Hyriopisis schlegelii. It lasted for 36 months and was divided into three main stages: initiation of gonad formation, a stable growth phase, and a reproductive cell development phase. Each reproductive cycle consisted of five stages: proliferative stage (from late January to late February), growth stage (from late February to late March), maturation stage, spawning stage (from early April to late October) and recovery stage (from early November to late January). Interestingly, a hermaphroditic phenomenon was observed in this mussel for the first time, which appears during the development stage from 26 to 32 months. Male and female follicular tissues coexisted in hermaphrodite individuals with the male follicular tissue accounting for more than 90% of the whole gonad tissue. No hermaphroditic phenomenon was observed in matured gonad. We thus speculate that self-fertilization does not exist in H. schlegelii.