Choi KSLewis DHPowell EN2010-02-152010-02-151989 199http://hdl.handle.net/1969.3/23077-A polyclonal antibody has been produced against egg protein and sperm protein of the American oyster for obtaining a weight-based gonadal index. The gonadal index was expressed in the form: mg gonadal protein/g wet wt oyster tissue. The polyclonal antibody against oyster sperm protein was produced by stripping ripe sperm into phosphate-buffered saline. Sperm was collected, homogenized and injected into an Albino New Zealand rabbit. Rabbit anti-oyster sperm IgG (10 mu g/ml) detected 0.2 to 6.0 mu g of sperm protein. To assess the usefulness of this method, 50 female oysters were collected from Deer Island, Galveston Bay, Texas from June through October, 1988. During that period, monthly gonadal index (for females) varied between 107 mg/g (June) and 22 mg/g (October). The maximum gonadal index recorded was recorded in July, 365 mg/g, and the minimum in October, 0.012 mg/g. Maximal indices in July indicate that the gonad may account for as much as 36% of the body weight during the spawning seasonantibodiesCrassostreaCrassostrea virginicaEvaluationGalveston BayImmunologyMethodologyO 8050 CONFERENCESOyster cultureOystersProteinsQ1 01264 Reproduction and developmentQ1 01583 Shellfish cultureQ3 01583 Shellfish cultureShellfishspawningspermTexasUSACONF