ABSTRACT
Reproductive cycle, sexual and asexual reproduction and biochemical cycle of the fissiparous starfish, Allostichaster capensis, were examined for 24 months at Golfo Nuevo (Chubut, Argentina). Gonadal indices revealed an annual reproductive cycle. Maturing occurred in late winter (August). Spawning occurred in September (spring). Pyloric caecal indices and biochemical composition showed a clear annual cycle and a reciprocal relationship with gonadal indices. The population appears to be maintained only by fission, as only two females were found. A. capensis also showed an annual cycle of fission, showing the highest frequency of fission in spring and summer (from November to January), just after the spawning. Incidence of fission was correlated with environmental factors such as photoperiod, seawater temperature and salinity.
