Directional (sinistral) asymmetry (DA) occurs when the traits of one side of a supposedly bilaterally symmetrical organism differ in a random way from those of the other side. We examined asymmetries in gonadal growth traits within both sexes of hatchery reared ayu, Plecoglossus altivelis. The pattern of the gonadal growth from hatching to 320 days after hatching was a type of DA except for the growth in gonad weight from 140 to 180 days after hatching, although the ovary of the right side tended to exhibit more pronounced DA phenomenon.