Abstract: In holothuroids, oocyte maturation is stopped in ovaries at the prophase I stage of meiosis. In natural conditions, the blockage is removed during the spawning by an unknown mechanism. When oocytes are isolated by dissection, the meiotic release can be successfully induced by a natural inducer, the REES (i.e., Rough Extract of Echinoid Spawn) that is used in aquaculture to obtain ...

Chromatographic fractions of a rough extract of echinoid spawn (REES) is demonstrated to efficiently induce oocyte maturation in aspidochirote holothuroids. The method is so efficient that it is currently used in holothuriculture to obtain fertilised eggs even outside the reproductive period of the aquacultivated species. In the present study, we isolated and identified from echinoid spawns the ...