Gl. Taranger et al., Mechanisms underlying photoperiodic effects on age at sexual maturity in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, AQUACULTURE, 177(1-4), 1999, pp. 47-60
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), reared in sea cages for 18 months (age 36
months from hatching), were exposed to natural light (NL; control), or con
tinuous light (LL) from January (ALJ) or March (ALM) until July. Oocyte dev
elopment appeared to be arrested at the oil drop stage during winter and sp
ring in a proportion of the females following exposure to LL. This was acco
mpanied by a decrease in plasma oestradiol-17 beta and testosterone levels
following the onset of LL. Somatic growth was affected by LL during winter
and spring. However, the arrested sexual development in a proportion of the
fish in the ALJ and ALM groups did not correlate with lower growth rate, b
ody weight or condition factor compared with controls prior to the reductio
n in plasma sex steroid levels. These results suggest a photoperiodic advan
cement of the timing of an annual 'critical period' during which sexual mat
uration can be arrested. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved
.