Histological changes in the oocytes of the estuarine crab, Scylla serrata (Forskal) after eyestalk ablation

Abstract

The effect of eyestalk extirpation on the development of the oocytes in Scylla serrata, a commercially important edible crab of the estuaries, brackish and backwaters, has been studied. Histological sections of the ovary, from one and the same crab during the course of the experiment show that the animals having immature ovary reach the maturing stage and those with mature ovary become ripe or occasionally even spawn in the laboratory within a short time following eyestalk ablation. The size of the oocytes before and after extirpation of the eyestalk has been studied and the sequence of events taking place in the ovary has been shown with the aid of microphotographs