308 



Fishery Bulletin 102(2) 



Figure 2 



Slide of the ovary (stained with hematoxylin and eosin) of a mature spawning 

 female L. opaleseens. Bar = 1.0 mm. 



Table 1 



Classification system for the gross anatomical characteristics of the reproductive system of female market squid (Loligo 

 opaleseens). 



Female organs 



Character 



Grade 



Nidamental gland 

 Accessory nidamental gland 



Oviduct 



Ovary 



Ovary 



length 

 color 



number of large clear eggs 

 number of large clear oocytes 

 number of opaque or white oocytes 



millimeters 



0=clear, l=whitish, 2 = pink. 3=peach. 



4 =reddish-orange 



l=none. 2 = 1-20. 3=21-200, 4=>200 

 l=none, 2 = 1-20, 3=21-200. 4=>200 

 l=none, 2 = 1-20, 3=21-200, 4=>200 



Postovulatory follicles were classified as either new, degen- 

 erating, or very degenerative. We assigned the females to 

 one of the following reproductive categories on the basis of 

 the histology of their ovaries (numerical stages in Knipe 

 and Beeman, 1978): 



Immature Ovary contains only unyolked oocytes; 

 oocyte development ranged from stages I 

 (oogonia) to IV (follicular invagination oocyte) 

 and requires microscopic examination. 



Mature No postovulatory follicles are present. Ova- 



preovulatory ries contain oocytes with yolk (stage V, 

 yolking begins about 1.1 mm in size); ovary 

 usually contains unyolked oocytes. 



Mature Ovary contains postovulatory follicles 



spawning ( POFs) of any degree of degeneration (none 

 to extensive); more than one degenerative 

 POF class may be present. Oocyte develop- 

 ment stages III— VI are often present but 

 stages Ic-II are rare. (29t of the ovaries 

 have late stage Ic oocytes and none have 

 any of the earliest stages, la or lb.) 



In some histological sections of ovaries we saw 1-10 yolking 

 oocytes (development stage V) with a broken follicle layer, 

 and the yolk seemed to be oozing out between the other 

 oocytes. Because this may have been an artifact of hand- 

 ling, we did not use such females to estimate fecundity. 



