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In most vertebrates, the development of a mature gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretory system is pivotal for the onset of puberty. The role of the three native GnRH forms, seabream (sb) GnRH, chicken (c) GnRH-II and salmon GnRH, in striped bass puberty remains elusive. This study examined the changes in pituitary GnRH levels throughout juvenile and pubertal development, a period encompassing 3 to 4 years. The levels of the two most abundant forms in the pituitary, sbGnRH and cGnRH-II (10:1), increased during the Fall and peaked prior to (cGnRH-II) or during (sbGnRH) the natural breeding season in March to May. In most cases, sbGnRH and cGnRH-II levels of maturing fish correlated to changes in oocyte diameter, gonadosomatic index and LH pituitary content. Interestingly, pituitaries of immature and maturing 2- and 3-year-old males and females contained similar amounts of all three GnRH forms. Additionally, pituitary sbGnRH and cGnRH-II levels in juvenile fish were relatively high and GnRH profiles showed a clear seasonality, similar to those of older, mature fish. These findings suggest a role for both sbGnRH and cGnRH-II in the regulation of gonadal development and indicate that, unlike some mammalian species, the timing of puberty in striped bass is not limited by a low activity of the GnRH system.
