24
vIcTon L. LOOSANOFF A N D HARRY c . DAVIS
stimulation both male a d femsic oystcrs can spawn ;my time they
have physiologically -ripe sex cells to discharge.
The final experiment consisted of observations o n nine female
oysters developing gonads under normal conditions in Long Island
Sound and ijlduced to spawn at tlw c ~ n c l of June. The total number
of eggs dischargd by thc3sc. oyst(>i*s rangcd from 23.2 million to 85-8
million and averaged 84.1 millioir ~ g g s per female. Thus, both average
number of eggs and maximam number per female of the summer
FIG. 1s. Representatives of three groups of oyiters of different uges arid A I Z ~ R uwd
Members of oldeat, group 'were
in studies to determine viability of their gametes.
estimated to be between 30 arid 40 years.
spawning group were about 20 million higher than found in the winter
experiment. Nevertheless, none of these oysters discharged as many
as half a billion eggs, as suggested by Galtsoff (1930). The larger
number of eggs developed by oysters of this group, as compared with
production of eggs by oysters conditioned in the laboratory during
early winter, may be ascribed to larger reserves of glycogen possessed
by oysters developing gonads under natural conditions.
A question that had long been of interest to biologists waR, At what
age do ovsters and clams produce the hest, most viable sexual products?
until recently, no answer could be given because no reliable met})&
vIcTon L. LOOSANOFF A N D HARRY c . DAVIS
stimulation both male a d femsic oystcrs can spawn ;my time they
have physiologically -ripe sex cells to discharge.
The final experiment consisted of observations o n nine female
oysters developing gonads under normal conditions in Long Island
Sound and ijlduced to spawn at tlw c ~ n c l of June. The total number
of eggs dischargd by thc3sc. oyst(>i*s rangcd from 23.2 million to 85-8
million and averaged 84.1 millioir ~ g g s per female. Thus, both average
number of eggs and maximam number per female of the summer
FIG. 1s. Representatives of three groups of oyiters of different uges arid A I Z ~ R uwd
Members of oldeat, group 'were
in studies to determine viability of their gametes.
estimated to be between 30 arid 40 years.
spawning group were about 20 million higher than found in the winter
experiment. Nevertheless, none of these oysters discharged as many
as half a billion eggs, as suggested by Galtsoff (1930). The larger
number of eggs developed by oysters of this group, as compared with
production of eggs by oysters conditioned in the laboratory during
early winter, may be ascribed to larger reserves of glycogen possessed
by oysters developing gonads under natural conditions.
A question that had long been of interest to biologists waR, At what
age do ovsters and clams produce the hest, most viable sexual products?
until recently, no answer could be given because no reliable met})&