Histopathological assessment of gonadal tissue in wild fishes

Vicki S. Blazer

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

229 Scopus citations

Abstract

Histology offers a powerful tool in the study of reproductive health of fishes. It is routinely used for sex verification, identifying stage of development, documenting presence of intersex, tumors, parasites and other abnormalities and quantifying atresia. It can also be used for more subtle changes such as thickness of the vitelline envelope at various stages, yolk appearance, necrosis of sperm, and Sertoli cell proliferation. Gonadal histology, in conjunction with hormone and vitellogenin measurements, morphological and fecundity studies, can provide insights into the effects of various environmental stressors on reproductive health. However, much research, both field and laboratory, is needed to understand cause and effect for observed changes and to understand the meaning of many of the histological observations made in field studies, in terms of reproductive success of fish populations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)85-101
Number of pages17
JournalFish Physiology and Biochemistry
Volume26
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2002

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Biochemistry
  • Physiology
  • Aquatic Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Histopathological assessment of gonadal tissue in wild fishes'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this