Standard histological protocol were performed on fifteen families of A. ocellaris collected at Pulau Bidong, Terengganu to describe and differentiate the gonad morphology between male, female and the non-breeders of protandrous Anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris). Based on the observations, non-breeder fish (3.5-5.8 cm TL) possess intermixed ovotestes with no clear boundaries between testicular and ovarian tissues. The ovotestes contained previtellogenic oocytes interspersed with fewer spermatocytes. Male fishes (5.3-6.9 cm TL) exhibited a different type of ovotestes. Male fish ovotestes were dominated by spermatogenic cells with fewer numbers of surrounding previtellogenic oocytes. In contrast, female fish gonadal tissue (6.0-9.2 cm TL) only contained ovarian tissues with no evidence of any testicular tissues. The ovarian was also larger and more mature than male and non breeders ovarian tissue with well organised ovigerous lamellae filled with oocytes visible at different developmental stages. The absence of the testicular tissues in the female gonad shows that the change of sex from male to female is an irreversible process.
A.B. Abol-Munafi, N.H. Norazmi-Lokman, N.A. Asma, S. Sarmiza and M.Y. Abduh. Histological Study on the Gonad of the Protandrous Anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/javaa.2011.3031.3036
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1680-5593/javaa.2011.3031.3036