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The most commonly accepted theory is that a gonad inhibitory hormone (GIH) is produced in the neurosecretory complexes in the eyestalk. This hormone apparently occurs in nature in the non-breeding season and is absent or present only in low levels during the breeding season. By inference, then, the reluctance of most penaeids to routinely develop mature ovaries in captivity is a function of elevated levels of GIH, and eyestalk ablation lowers the high hemolymph titer of GIH. The effect of eyestalk removal is not on a single hormone such as GIH, but rather effects numerous physiological processes (Bray & Lawrence, 1992).
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