Gonadal Maturation and Main Spawning Period of Haliotis gigantea (Gastropoda: Haliotidae)

This study was carried out to obtain information on the developmental biology and the management of biological resources of the abalone <i>Haliotis gigantea</i> in Korea. The sex ratio (female:male) in the present study was 1:1.7 and the proportion of females was 36.6% (n=106/290). Their gonadal structures displayed definitive seasonal changes which were similar in pattern to the changes in the gonad index (GI). The GI showed a pattern of definitive seasonal changes in both males and females it was high in the fall and low in the spring. The reproductive cycle could be categorized into the following six stages: inactive, early active, late active, ripe, spent, and degenerative stage. Based on the monthly changes in GI and stages of gonadal development, October to November was determined to be the main spawning period for <i>H. gigantea</i> on Jeju Island, Korea.