Quantification of ovarian condition in fish: a safer, more precise alternative to established methodology

¹ Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK
² Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK

Received: 20 February 2002
Accepted: 24 May 2002

Abstract

The ability to accurately quantify ovarian condition in cultured species of fish is of paramount importance in the understanding of their reproductive biology and the development of appropriate culture conditions. Here, we discuss stereological analysis, a mathematically proven technique that determines 3-dimensional topology and geometry from 2-dimensional thin sections, as a safer and more precise replacement for existing methodology.