The pearl oyster, Pinctada imbricata is an indigenous species that can potentially be used for aquaculture in the Gulf of Cariaco. In this work we examined the monthly gonadal development of a juvenile cohort (27.38 +/- 2.70 mm) of the pearl oyster in a hanging culture system. Gonadal development was recorded throughout the study period (April 2012-February 2013), reaching the first maximum sexual maturity within five months of fixation. The females showed a sustained decrease of the gonadal index from December associated to the upwelling period, whereas the males presented oscillations that correspond to partial spawning without completely emptying the gonads. The greater frequency of spawning during upwelling, when there is greater availability of food, suggests that he has an opportunistic reproductive strategy. The sex ratio remained unchanged in the study period with a tendency to have more males (53%) at the beginning of the culture, evidencing that the stage of sexual transition of sex change is experienced by a low proportion of the population. Gametogenic development, in turn, was associated with primary productivity (Chl-a) and the availability of organic particles (organic seston). In culture, the oyster reached a size of 43.85 +/- 5.66 mm. The increase in shell size was high during the first five months, stopping associated with a partial spawning with high primary production, from which the increase of the shell decreased in exchange for higher gametes production.