HAEMOLYMPH UNCONJUGATED AND CONJUGATED STEROIDS DURING REPRODUCTION IN PENAEUS JAPONICUS (CRUSTACEA, DECAPODA)

摘要

With reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection, tile steroid and ecdysteroid contents have been studied of haemolymph of Penaeus japonicus during the reproductive cycle. In females, conjugated androgens and conjugated and unconjugated estrogens are present, some occurring mainly in vitellogenic stages, others in immature or post-spawning animals. Tn males with quiescent testes, during the winter months only unconjugated estrogens occur. Also unconjugated cortisol is present in this period, in both males and females. The presence of a large amount of unknown steroids suggests the existence in crustaceans of metabolic pathways different from those in vertebrates.