Ovary Morphology and Reproductive Features of the Female Suckermouth Sailfin Catfish, Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber 1991) from Marikina River, Philippines

The ovarian histomorphology during the annual reproductive cycle of the non native suckermouth sailfin catfish, Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber 1991), a highly invasive and dominant fish population in Marikina River, Philippines was described from July 2010 to June 2011. Six ovary development stages were described with defined oocyte diameters in immature, maturing and spawning stages. Minimum length of maturity for females was at 26 cm standard length (SL), although incidences of precocious sexual maturity in several females as small as 19 cm SL were seen during the peak spawning months. Female P. disjunctivus have a relatively short spawning period (June to September) coinciding with the rainy season, followed by a short regression stage (October to December) which overlapped with the long recrudescent stage (October to early June). The three oocyte diameters in vitellogenic ovaries and the short spawning season suggest that the females were iteroparous batch spawners.