The Reproductive Cycle of Holothuria Cucumaria frondosa of the Barents Sea

Abstract

The study considers the morphological features of the gonad structure and the seasonal changes in the reproductive activity of the gonads of holothuria Cucumaria frondosa of the Barents Sea. The sex of individuals can be identified using morphometric analysis with the average mass of gonads of 1.63 g, with the average mass of the skin-muscle sac of 53.00 g and the length of 80.00-83.00 mm whereas the diameter of the genital tubes is not less than 0.50 mm. The spawning of cucumaria, producing plankton progeny, occurs from March to May, but the spawning period can be shifted, since the beginning of the spawning period is associated with the seasonal increase of the surface water temperature and the intensive phytoplankton blooming. The character of spawning is intermittent. Individual fertility is low, in individuals with the average mass of SMS 150.00-200.00 g ranged from 9 to 32 thousand cells.