Zimmermann: Maturity and fecundity of Atheresthes stomias 
603 
Table 3 
Tukey test results showing significant differences (<) and equalities ( ) between arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias) 
females in different stages of development, as determined by histology (EP = early perinucleus, LP = late perinucleus, CA = 
cortical alveoli, EV = early vitellogenesis, LV = late vitellogenesis, and MN = migratory nucleus). 
Variable Histological stage 
Length 
EP 
< 
LP 
< 
CA 
EV 
LV 
MN 
Weight 
EP 
LP 
< 
CA 
EV 
LV 
MN 
Condition factor 
EP 
EV 
CA 
LP 
< 
LV 
< 
MN 
Gonadosomatic index 
EP 
LP 
< 
CA 
< 
EV 
< 
LV 
< 
MN 
Hepatosomatic index 
EP 
LP 
CA 
EV 
< 
LV 
< 
MN 
Histological examination of fe- 
males classified macroscopically as 
“developing” (stage B, n=50, length 
range 47- 83 cm) revealed that they 
were in vitellogenesis and thus cor- 
rectly classified. Most of the females 
had oocytes that were in some phase 
of yolk acquisition (early vitellogen- 
esis to migratory nucleus stages), and 
only 2.0% were in the cortical alveoli 
stage. Sixteen percent of these fish had 
atretic oocytes. 
Most of the females categorized as 
“spent or resting” (stage E, n=45, 
length range 49-83 cm) were in some 
stage of vitellogenesis (n= 39, 86.7%) 
and should have been classified as 
“developing.” The percentage of fish 
with atresia declined with increas- 
ing maturity stage, from 46.2% in the 
cortical alveoli stage to 0.0% in the 
migratory nucleus stage. Overall, 28.9% of these 
“spent or resting” fish had atresia, the highest rate 
of all three macroscopic stages. Only 4 fish out of 45 
were correctly determined to be “spent or resting” 
(late perinucleus with atresia). 
Three females were assigned a combined macro- 
scopic classification of “developing” or “spent or rest- 
ing.” In two of the fish the anterior portion of the 
ovarian lobes appeared to be “developing” whereas 
the posterior ends appeared to be “spent or resting.” 
In the third fish the blind-side ovarian lobe appeared 
to be “developing” whereas the eyed-side appeared 
to be “spent or resting.” Histological examination 
demonstrated that all three of these fish were in late 
vitellogenesis; even samples taken from the portions 
of the ovary that were macroscopically classified as 
“spent or resting” demonstrated that the fish were 
in late vitellogenesis. 
I failed to classify two females macroscopically 
because of size-based bias. A large fish (66 cm), in 
which the ovary appeared to be “immature,” was ac- 
tually in the early vitellogenesis stage. A small fish 
(20 cm), in which the ovary appeared to be “develop- 
ing,” was in the late perinucleus stage. 
Mean values of CF, HSI, and GSI of the histologi- 
cal stages for females are presented in Figure 2, with 
significant differences shown in Table 3. Condition 
factors of the first four stages were not significantly 
different, but CF was higher in the late vitellogen- 
esis stage and highest in the migratory nucleus stage 
(Single-factor ANOVA; df=5, F=25.9, PcO.001; Tukey 
tests). The small decline in mean CF values between 
