REPRODUCTIVE PERIODICITY OF SEA CUCUMBER BOHADSCHIA VITIENSIS (ECHINODERMATA: HOLOTHUROIDEA) IN HURGHADA AREA, RED SEA, EGYPT

A small scale sea cucumber fishery began in Egypt in 1998 on the northern part of Red Sea coast fig. (1). By the year 2000, its fishery had expanded dramatically, leading to over exploitation. Evidence from previous study [1] indicates that four years after banning sea cucumber fishery in Egyptian Red Sea, some commercial species are returning to some of the sites, but there is no evidence of stock recovery. B. vitiensis was studied during 2003-2004 and a population analysis of 417 individuals showed significant abundance of males. Reproductive studies showed also that during June and July an intensive period of spawning occurred with size at 1st maturity of 24.5 and 26.1 cm for males and females respectively. The oocyte diameter of ripe females ranged from 87.5 to 162.5 µm during active spawning period