Gonadal maturity scale of the jumbo flying squid Dosidicus gigas (d’Orbigny, 1835) (Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae)

Abstract

With samples obtained during the Research Survey on Jumbo flying squid, aboard the R/V Shinko Maru 3, carried out in October-November 2000, visual gonadal characteristics were contrasted with microscopic features, determining a gonadal maturity scale consisting of 4 gonadal development stages for females and 3 for males. For the case of females, the four stages of gonadal maturity proposed in this paper, are equivalent as those proposed by other authors. It is important to mention the high frequency observed in stage I, in some cases found in large individuals. In males, the presence or absence of spermatophores in spermatophoric sac or in the visceral cavity indicates whether the individual is in stage II or III.