Table 4 Classification of maturity stages for males B. altianalis
Stages | Description |
|---|---|
Stage I: Immature | |
| Strand-like Y-shaped gonad and transparent. This stage is dominated by spermatogonia only |
Stage II: Developing | Easily distinguishable as males and off-white colored gonads. The majority of the cells are spermatogonia, and spermatocytes but occasionally few groups of spermatids and very few spermatozoa are observed |
| |
Stage III: Spawning capable | Large gonads, off-white coloration; dominated by lobules filled with spermatozoa |
| |
Stage IV: Regressed | |
| Reduced in size with bloody perches. Other portions still look off-white. Microscopically they are large empty spaces with residual spermatozoa. However other portions may still have some viable spermatozoa. |
Stage V: Regenerating | |
| Further reduced in size with pale reddish coloration. This stage largely contains parked spermatogonia with reduced spaces containing very few residual spermatozoa. |
