Gonadal Development of Females of the White Shrimp Penaeus schmitti (Burkenroad, 1936) Caught in Southeastern Brazil

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Autgors,

Congratulations on a great article. I recommend its approval be the Editors in the present form. 

Author Response

Rev 1

 

Dear Authors,

 

Congratulations on a great article. I recommend its approval be the Editors in the present form. English language and style are fine/minor spell check required

Thank you.

 

Reviewer 2 Report

In this manuscript, the authors attempted to demonstrate the reproductive cell development and ovarian developmental stages, and identifies the non-germinal components of white shrimp (Penaeus schmitti) caught off the southern coast of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The results provide some basic information. There are some important issues that the authors need to address.

1. The scientific problem and significance in this manuscript should be concise, prominent.
2. The five stages of gonadal development and the six stages of cell development could be more specific and evidence.
3. The size of collecting shrimp samples is with relatively large difference？
4. All the results have one Table and one Figure, can it be more abundant?

Author Response

c

Rev2

In this manuscript, the authors attempted to demonstrate the reproductive cell development and ovarian developmental stages, and identifies the non-germinal components of white shrimp (Penaeus schmitti) caught off the southern coast of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The results provide some basic information. There are some important issues that the authors need to address.

1. The scientific problem and significance in this manuscript should be concise, prominent.

The text below was included in the last paragraph of the introduction.

 

“Therefore, the present study sought to describe the stages of gonadal development of the white shrimp P. schmitti from the southern coast of Espírito Santo, Brazil, through macroscopic and histological analysis of the ovaries, thus contributing to our knowledge required for appropriate stock management of penaeids and in the reproductive physiology of this species in captivity.”

2. The five stages of gonadal development and the six stages of cell development could be more specific and evidence.

We have included table 1 and other details in the text description to make gonadal development more specific, however we do not include details regarding cell development as more detailed histochemical study is needed to assess oogenesis. In this case, we take the information about germ cells from the abstract.

3. The size of collecting shrimp samples is with relatively large difference？

All samples from females sampled during one year of study were used in the study. Fishing is small-scale and artisanal. As this is a characteristic of the fishery, we believe that this is a sufficient sample number. However, we recognize that we did not make this clear in the study, so we entered the entire sample number.

4. All the results have one Table and one Figure, can it be more abundant?

We added a new table (Table 1) and modified some images in the figure.

 

Reviewer 3 Report

1. I recommend to insert the pictures describing the macroscopic characteristics of the ovaries at the various stages (I-V), in addition to the information described on table 1.
2. Sample were collected along a period of eight months. Can you detailed how many samples were test each time and the analysis method (macroscopic/histological) ? Was there a significant correlation between the season / month and the stages of the ovaries?  Please specify how this information may contribute to fishery management.
3. Please compare the reproductive dynamics of P. schmitti obtained from the locations sampled in this research to that described in the literature for other sites in Brazil described in the literature.

Author Response

Rev3

 

I recommend to insert the pictures describing the macroscopic characteristics of the ovaries at the various stages (I-V), in addition to the information described on table .

Unfortunately this information is not possible to include. Macroscopic characterization is extremely difficult to be performed in studies with shrimp, because the tissue being removed is extremely thin. Articles that involve this analysis are rare, a fact caused by the difficulty. This technique our research group has not yet mastered, however, we are gradually evolving.

Sample were collected along a period of eight months. Can you detailed how many samples were test each time and the analysis method (macroscopic/histological) ?

We did not perform macroscopic analyzes for the reasons indicated above.

Was there a significant correlation between the season / month and the stages of the ovaries?  Please specify how this information may contribute to fishery management.

This information will be directed to another article that is under preparation.

Please compare the reproductive dynamics of P. schmitti obtained from the locations sampled in this research to that described in the literature for other sites in Brazil described in the literature.

This information will be directed to another article that is under preparation.

Reviewer 4 Report

Dear Authors,

This article describes the gonadal development stages of one of the most popular white shrimps from artisanal fishing in Brazil. This article, in its form and subject, fits perfectly with Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. It will be an interesting and innovative contribution to the knowledge about white shrimp gonadal development. Below you can find detailed comments:

Abstract - in my opinion your article do not describe the cell development (you mostly wrote about macroscopic observation where you are not able to see singular cells) - but is more a description of gonads in shrimp females (or as you wrote ovarian development). Please, remove "cell development" (gonadogenesis started during the embryo stages, and you wrote about post-embryo stages).

Atretic oocytes are present in shrimps exposed to water pollution or contamination too, not only in spawned stage. Did authors investigate the water quality?

I understood that authors would like to introduce the golden standard for gonadal stage maturation, but in the article there are no microscopical photographs. Is it possible to supplement it as a photograph panel or as a part of Tab. 1? 

The conclusions seem to be more like an abstract, less than a conclusion. Please, improve this part of your work to be more suitable to the final conclusions of your work and future perspectives. 

In reference list there is a doubled numeration.

Kind regards,

Author Response

Rev4

 

This article describes the gonadal development stages of one of the most popular white shrimps from artisanal fishing in Brazil. This article, in its form and subject, fits perfectly with Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. It will be an interesting and innovative contribution to the knowledge about white shrimp gonadal development. Below you can find detailed comments:

Thank you

 

Abstract - in my opinion your article do not describe the cell development (you mostly wrote about macroscopic observation where you are not able to see singular cells) - but is more a description of gonads in shrimp females (or as you wrote ovarian development). Please, remove "cell development" (gonadogenesis started during the embryo stages, and you wrote about post-embryo stages).

We revised the summary and removed the cell development.

 

Atretic oocytes are present in shrimps exposed to water pollution or contamination too, not only in spawned stage. Did authors investigate the water quality?

We did not sample the water, but during one year of the study, we only observed spawned individuals who had atresic oocytes. No other individual who had another stage of development showed this characteristic, taking into account that these individuals are exposed to the same environmental conditions at the sampling site. Therefore, we rule out this possibility.

 

I understood that authors would like to introduce the golden standard for gonadal stage maturation, but in the article there are no microscopical photographs. Is it possible to supplement it as a photograph panel or as a part of Tab. 1? 

We inserted histological photos of the stages of gonadal development.

 

The conclusions seem to be more like an abstract, less than a conclusion. Please, improve this part of your work to be more suitable to the final conclusions of your work and future perspectives. 

We rewrite the conclusion.

 

In reference list there is a doubled numeration.

Corrections made.