Journal of Environmental Biology

Effect of cortisol on female freshwater fish Notopterus notopterus

 

D.S. Shankar and R.S. Kulkarni

Fish Endocrinology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Gulbarga University, Gulbarga-585 106, India

 

(Received: 19 June, 2004 ; Accepted: 2 November, 2004)

 

Abstract: In the present study, effect of cortisol on the ovary of the freshwater fish Notopterus notopterus was studied during four phases of the reproductive cycle. The hormone was injected 60mg/fish for ten days. Cortisol in fish is known to increase the metabolic activity. After the hormone treatment the ovarian somatic index and the hepatosomatic index increases during non breeding phase. The young oocytes transferred into vitellogenic oocytes in all the phases after cortisol treatment. The cortisol induced increased ovarian activity may be due to increase in the metabolic activity through the involvement of hepatic cells specially during non-breeding period providing support for energy production for reproductive activity in the freshwater fish N. notopterus.

 

Key words: Notopterus, Cortisol, Oocytes, Liver.

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