Embryonic development ofPelteobagrus fulvidraco (Richardson, 1846)

Abstract

For production enhancement and procedure upgrade, the developmental phases of laboratory-reared eggs of catfishPelteobagrus fulvidraco were investigated. Twenty mature females and 10 males were collected from Dadongmen wholesale fisheries market in Wuhan City on May 8, 2003. Zygotes were stripped from mature fish after hormone-induced ovulation, fertilized, and incubated through whole embryonic development. The fertilized eggs were stocked in density of 100 eggs/L in white square tanks of 10 L. Incubation water was dechlorinated tap water with continuous aeration. The tanks were lit directly with 60 W fluorescent bulbs with a 12 light: 12 dark photoperiod. Water temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH were 29.0±0.5°C, 6.7±0.4 mg/L and 7.4±2, respectively. The results showed that the eggs ofP. fulvidraco were yellow, sticky and contained much yolk. The mean diameter of fertilized eggs was 2.03 mm. At the water temperature of 29.0±0.5°C, the ontogenesis spent about 33 h after fertilization. From fertilization to hatching, the embryonic development can be divided into 30–40 phases, which varies in the emphasis and direction of development. The detailed embryonic movement was also described.