Gonadal Development And Reproductive Activity Of The Cichlid Fish Tilapia Leucosticta (trewavas) In An Equatorial Lake

Abstract

THE most important external factors that influence gonadal development and reproductive activity are day length and temperature1. In temperate zones both factors show dramatic changes in the annual cycle. In the tropics, daylength shows much less significant variation than it does in the temperate zones and temperatures are generally quite high throughout the year. These variations are even less in the equatorial zone. The most prominent seasonally varying climatic feature is usually rainfall. Its influence on the reproductive activity of tropical fish has not been clearly determined.