Reproductive Physiology of Fish

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Changes in conditions of water bodies and regional human activity can modulate the structure of communities of fish fauna, with loss of species richness. This problem is hindering the ichthyofauna of the major river basins of the State of São Paulo. Taking into account the magnitude of the problem, few efforts have been devoted to understanding the mechanisms by which disruption of spawning impairs fish reproduction, since studies show that spawning interrupted affect the development of the gonads (ovaries and testes) and gamete maturation and spawning. In the Upper Tietê and Paraíba do Sul river few studies have been conducted to understand the adjustments in the reproductive physiology of fish prevented from migrating, with emphasis on the endocrine and metabolic pathways involved in these settings. Recent studies have shown that fish spawning in preventing the migration blocks final maturation and ovulation. Within this framework, the focus of our work group is investigating the hormonal pathways that modulate reproduction in migratory species, focusing mainly on the control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in species spawning, as well as the processes of mobilization and deposition of energy substrates in these animals, with emphasis on the major fatty acids involved..