@article {Hopper:1998:0007-4977:1,
title = "Sexual Reproduction of the Tropical Sea Cucumber, Actinopyga Mauritiana (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea), in Guam",
journal = "Bulletin of Marine Science",
parent_itemid = "infobike://umrsmas/bullmar",
publishercode ="umrsmas",
year = "1998",
volume = "63",
number = "1",
publication date ="1998-07-01T00:00:00",
pages = "1-9",
itemtype = "ARTICLE",
issn = "0007-4977",
eissn = "1553-6955",
url = "https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/umrsmas/bullmar/1998/00000063/00000001/art00001",
author = "Hopper, D. R. and Hunter, C. L. and Richmond, R. H.",
abstract = "The reproductive biology of the aspidochirote holothurian Actinopyga mauritiana was studied through 1988 and 1989. A gonadal index (gonad wt/drained body wt) was the best measure of reproductive readiness, reaching peaks of up to 23% in spring and summer months, with peaks occurring
at slightly different times in the 2-yr study. Well developed oocytes and sperm were present in many individuals from each sampling period. Spawned oocytes ranged from 110135 m in diameter. Estimates of absolute fecundity ranged from 26.27 \texttimes 106 to 40.98 \texttimes
106 oocytes for gravid females, agreeing with data for this species in New Caledonia. Reproductive periodicity, as correlated with ambient ocean temperature, was similar to the spring/summer spawning reported for this species in New Caledonia, despite greater seasonal fluctuations
in temperature and photoperiod at that location. This suggests that if temperature and/or photoperiod are important factors in reproductive timing, they work in an absolute (threshold) fashion rather than in a relative one. Temporal differences in reproductive peaks between years coincided
with a La Ni{\~n}a event.",
}