Materials and methods
Females of O. massavensis were collected at night using commercial
trawlers during 2009 from the Eastern harbor in the
Mediterranean Sea, Alexandria, Egypt. The collected samples
were transported to the laboratory in collecting bags with fresh
sea water. The ovary was dissected out from 5 randomly selected
individuals from each stage. Samples were fixed in aqueous
10% formalin and processed for light microscopy. Serial
sections were cut at 5 lm and stained with Mayer’s hematoxylin
and eosin. Slides were examined and photographed under
Olympus microscope (CX31) equipped with an image analyzing
system.
For scanning through electron microscope, the ripped eggs
of female O. massavensis were fixed immediately in 2.5% buffered
gluteraldehyde at 4 C for 1 h. They were post-fixed at
1% osmium tetroxide at 4 C for 1 h. After post fixation, eggs
were dehydrated in ascending series of ethanol. Samples were
dried in a critical point dryer. Dried specimens were mounted
on metal stubs, sputter coated with gold and examined using
JEOL JSU-5300 scanning electron microscope, at the Electron
Microscope Uni