Vol. 36 No. 2, 1997

Sex Steroid-like Substances in the Ovaries, Hepatopancreases, and Body Fluid of Female Mictyris brevidactylus

Jin-Taur Shih

Department of Biology, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan 117, R.O.C Tel: 886-2-9333149 ext. 339, Fax: 886-2-9312904

Jin-Taur Shih (1997) Sex steroid-like substances in the ovaries, hepatopancreases, and body fluid of female Mictyris brevidactylus. Zoological Studies 36(2): 136-145. This study was designed to determine if certain tissues of the soldier crab Mictyris brevidactylus contain sex steroid-like hormones. Ethanol extracts were prepared from ovaries, hepatopancreases, and body fluid of female crabs. A progesterone-like substance was detected by HPLC and RIA in the steroid residues of all 3 tissues. High levels of the progesterone-like substance were found in the prereproductive season (September-December) and low levels in the reproduc­ tive (egg-carrying, January-April) and nonreproductive seasons (May-August). An estradiol-like substance was detected by RIA only in ovaries, hepatopancreases, and body fluid of the prereproductive season. Ovaries had high levels of progesterone-like and estradiol-like substances in November, or December, while these 2 hormones reached their peak phases in the hepatopancreases and body fluid at least 1 to 2 months before in the ovary. The possible role of sex steroids in this crab is discussed.

Key words: Crab, Progesterone-like substance, Estradiol-like substance, Reproductive cycle.

*Correspondence: Department of Biology, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan 117, R.O.C Tel: 886-2-9333149 ext. 339, Fax: 886-2-9312904.