MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 292:195-201 (2005) - doi:10.3354/meps292195 Presence of spawn-inducing pheromones in two brittle stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) K. Soong1,*, D. Chang1, S. M. Chao2 1Institute of Marine Biology, National Sun Yat-sen University, 70 Lien-Hai Road, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 804, ROC2National Museum of Natural Science, 1 Kuan-chien Road., Taichung, Taiwan 404, ROC *Email: keryea@mail.nsysu.edu.tw ABSTRACT: Possible roles of pheromones in inducing spawning of 2 brittle stars, Ophiocoma dentata and Ophiocoma scolopendrina, were tested with gonad homogenates. In both species, the ovary homogenate induced conspecific, competent males to spawn. The potential pheromone was species- specific and had no effect on conspecific females. The testis homogenate did not have any effect. Of the males 50% could be induced at an estimated concentration of 7.8 × 107 g ml1 (wet ovary weight/seawater) with a threshold concentration at 108 g ml1. Some males could be induced to spawn at least 3 consecutive times at 1 d intervals. The unidirectional induction, i.e. males induced by female releasate, suggests high selective pressure of sperm limitation in these 2 species. KEY WORDS: Pheromones · Brittle star · Spawning · Species-specificity Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 292. Online publication date: May 12, 2005 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2005 Inter-Research.