ABSTRACT
Against this background, this chapter aims to introduce current knowledge concerning the reproductive endocrinology in female viviparous Poeciliidae, Zoarcidae, and Scorpaenidae, and trace the research progress comparatively as widely as possible. Many investigations to date have been summarized for each family concern ing the reproductive cycle, features of viviparity, secretion cycle and function of hypophysial hormones including gonadotropin (GTH), and ovarian sex steroids and prostaglandins, as endocrine factors regulating reproduction. Particularly in the case of poeciliids, the number of references introduced has become quite large. Here, the author aims to clarify the present state of research on the reproductive endocrinology in viviparous teleosts, elucidating those subject areas that have been received little attention to aid further progress of this research field.
