Loopy Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 Many people out there seem to be confused about the terms to be used in regards to the state of their fertile females of many various species. A simple definition of pregnant/pregnancy is Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, inside the uterus of a female An embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination. In humans, it is called an embryo from the moment of fertilisation until the end of the 8th week of gestational age, whereafter it is instead called a fetus. A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate, after the embryonic stage and before birth Please note that an egg is not an embryo or fetus until it has been fertilised(sp?) A livebearer (guppy, molly, swordtail, platty etc) may be labelled "pregnant" Most other species of fish (and we can include axolotyls too) will generally be described as being "full of eggs". I am not confident in adding reptiles and frogs to this list as i don't know enough about their reproduction to comment. SO "pregnant" = Daddy has done his job already!! "Full of eggs" or "not pregnant" = Daddy has got work to do!!! I am happy for anyone to elaborate or correct me in anyway (even my spelling :lol: ) Or ask questions!!! Ya gotta learn somehow!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 i think reptiles are called being "Gravid" when carrying young Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopy Posted December 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 yeah that term is used very commonly for live bearers too. Gravid is the fishy way of saying pregnant. Gravid is term used in biology to describe the condition of a female livebearing fish (or snakes) when carrying young internally. *note* All my quotes are from wikipedia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frog Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 I agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 Whats wrong with 'up the duff'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopy Posted December 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 *woot* yeah we could start a whole new thread for all the slang terms for being "knocked up" :lol: But being the O.C.D freak that i have been accused of (not by anyone here though *yet* ) I find it hard to sit back and see people using the wrong word for something even if it is just because the right word is not know. I don't even know if there is a proper scientific term or word for a female fish that is "full of eggs" !! educate me!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coelacanth Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 Live-bearing (viviparous) animals are pregnant. Egg-laying (either oviparous or ovoviviparous) animals are gravid. Its very simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 Then you have the term "ROE"... which comes in two forms... Hard Roe.... The mass of eggs in a female fish's ovary Soft Roe... The Milt of the male fish... These terms are more often used by the commercial fish breeders... Salmon.. Trout... etc. I would think that the greater percentage of eggs that are produced by the fish that we generally keep... are fertilized "after' being exspelled by the female.... so... Loopy said: Please note that an egg is not an embryo or fetus until it has been fertilised(sp?) ... ... noting that many female fish will lay eggs without the presence of the male..... and it needs "two" of a species (in the fish world).. to reproduce. ... accordingly... a female fish full of roe..(or eggs).. can "never be classed as pregnant... ... but the Livebearer species "can" in a sense be classed as "Pregnant".. The term "Gravid"... is Latin :... Gravidus... meaning Pregnant... but really is more of a visual thing in the fish world, due to the stage of gestation that the female has reached.... usually... the darker she is at this point... the closer she is to giving birth. Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopy Posted December 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 ??Egg-laying (either oviparous or ovoviviparous) animals are gravid. The term "Gravid"... is Latin :... Gravidus... meaning Pregnant... So i am right to think "gravid" is the same as "pregnant"?? in a general sense i am of the thinking that egglayers can't be pregnant? (self-doubt and confusion starting to kick in) We can all run aroung saying "yay!!! my guppy is pregnant!!!" The bit i puzzle over is if i got all excited and wanted to say "omg!! my angel is __________!!!!"...............full of eggs??? is there a word for this????? i have tried looking around for a word for this but haven't had any luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coelacanth Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 gravid is the same as pregnant BUT in specific terms egg-layers are gravid NOT pregnant. So a live-bearing animal is pregnant (gravid may be used but the terms are generally kept separate in biology) An egg-laying animal is always gravid (NEVER pregnant) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchKiwiCowboy2 Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 What about the term "Ready to spawn"? Does that get around the problem of being specific? :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navarre Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 Gravid is the term used for the production of eggs and a fetus humans are gravid. however production of live young in mammals is prima. therefore a mammal may be grava 3 prima 1, 2 or 3 depending on live births hth Navarre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naz_Nomad Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 To clarify... gravid Being with child; heavy with young; pregnant; fruitful; as, a gravid uterus; gravid piety. " His gravid associate." . Origin: L. Gravidus, fr. Gravis heavy, loaded. See Grave. Source: Websters Dictionary And... pregnant 1. Being with young, as a female; having conceived; great with young; breeding; teeming; gravid; preparing to bring forth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gannet Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 just to be an odd ball and through this out there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 A live bearer is gravid with eggs until they hatch and are then born. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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