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6th Edition of
World Congress on Aquaculture, Fisheries & Marine Biology

October 8-10, 2026 | Tokyo, Japan
WAC 2026

Early gonadal development phases leading to sexual maturity in the Pacific white snook (Centropomus viridis) under captive conditions in B.C.S., México

Minerva Concepcion Maldonado Garcia, Speaker at Fisheries Conferences
Minerva Concepcion Maldonado Garcia
Northwest Biological Research Center SC, Mexico
Title : Early gonadal development phases leading to sexual maturity in the Pacific white snook (Centropomus viridis) under captive conditions in B.C.S., México

Abstract:

The advancement of biotechnology in cultivating the Pacific white snook (Centropomus viridis) is noteworthy. This study aimed to elucidate the reproductive biology of C. viridis during the early stages leading up to first sexual maturity, with particular focus on spermatogenesis. We evaluated several factors, including 1) weight and growth, with physiological indices such as the condition factor (K) and the gonadosomatic index (GSI); 2) gonadal development (GD); and 3) environmental influences, including water temperature and photoperiod. We identified four distinct phases of GD: phase I: immature, phase II: developing, phase III: spawning capable, and phase IV: regressing. The spermatogenesis process involved various cell types: 1) spermatogonia (diameter 5.01 ± 0.80 μm), 2) primary spermatocytes (3.29 ± 0.36 μm), 3) secondary spermatocytes (2.76 ± 0.30 μm), 4) spermatids(2.38 ± 0.48 μm), and 5) spermatozoa (1.48 ± 0.44 μm). Phase III, indicating sexual maturity, was first observed in July 2020 (approximately 3 years old). Almost a year later, in May, K peaked (>1.0), and by July 2021, with the water temperature on the rise, GSI reached a value greater than 0.8. These findings provide the first documented description of early gonadal development and sexual maturation in captive-born male C. viridis.

Biography:

PHD. Minerva C. Maldonado earned a Bachelor's degree in Oceanology in Baja California, Mexico, a Master's degree from the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur, Mexico, and a Doctorate in Science in the Use, Management, and Preservation of Natural Resources from the Northwest Biological Research Center (CIBNOR) in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, specializing in Marine Fish Reproduction at the IATS in Castellón, Spain. She has worked for 29 years as a Senior Researcher at CIBNOR. Her research has focused on marine fish farming, and she has published numerous scientific articles in indexed journals and popular science articles. She has led research projects funded by the federal government for community projects and has established partnerships with private companies. She has also trained instructors at various academic levels, conducted courses on marine fish, and helped organize a Science Fair for students from preschool through high school, emphasizing the scientific method. He believes that developing aquaculture in Mexico is a high priority for recovering and preserving the diversity of various species that are being overexploited and left unregulated. He believes that the sea is important for our health because we can obtain high-quality marine protein through aquaculture.

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