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Morphology of unfertilized mature and fertilized developing marine pelagic eggs in four types of multiple spawning flounders

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Abstract

Starry flounder Platichthys stellatus, spotted halibut Verasper variegates, turbot Scophthalmus maximus, and Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus are four commercially cultivated multiple spawning flounders that spawn pelagic eggs. Through appropriate light and scanning electron microscope processing, the shape and surface structures (such as micropyle, pores, pore density, and paten) of unfertilized mature and fertilized developing eggs of the four species were observed and measured. First, individual or intraspecific comparisons of the surface structures of eggs at different developmental stages were made. Second, interspecific differences among the four species at the same developmental stage of unfertilized mature eggs were statistically computed and analyzed through one-way analysis of variance and hierarchical cluster analysis. Eggs of the same species collected at different stages of development tend to be different in morphology. Smoothing of the convoluted egg envelope surface and closure of the micropyle to serve as a final step of the polyspermy-preventing reaction are common after fertilization. Based on detailed morphology of micropyle of just-mature fertilizable eggs, turbot, starry flounder, and Japanese flounder each have a micropyle with a long canal but no distinct micropylar vestibule, type III of Riehl and Götting (Arch Hydrobiol 74:393–402, 1974). In contrast, spotted halibut has a micropyle with a distinct flat micropylar vestibule and a long canal, type II. Envelope surface microstructures, especially those in the micropyle region, are useful characters for egg identification among the four species. Cluster analysis using selected egg characters indicated the highest similarity between turbot and Japanese flounder and that starry flounder is obviously more similar to turbot and Japanese flounder than to spotted halibut.

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Acknowledgments

The present study could not have been carried out without the willing help of those listed below in collecting specimens: Mr. Z. Song and Mrs. J. Zhao. Thanks to Dr. N. Anene for proofreading the manuscript. The National Key Basic Research Program from the Ministry of Science and Technology, P.R. China (2005CB422306), the National High Technology Research and Development Program from the Ministry of Science and Technology, P.R. China (2006AA09Z418) and the National Department Public Benefit Research Foundation from the Ministry of Agriculture, P.R. China (200903005) supported this work. Any fieldwork in this study complied with the current laws of P.R. China, in which it was performed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China

    Xiaodong Bian, Xiumei Zhang & Tianxiang Gao

  2. Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China

    Ruijing Wan & Siqing Chen

  3. Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 041-8611, Japan

    Yasunari Sakurai

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  1. Xiaodong Bian
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Correspondence to Xiumei Zhang.

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Bian, X., Zhang, X., Gao, T. et al. Morphology of unfertilized mature and fertilized developing marine pelagic eggs in four types of multiple spawning flounders. Ichthyol Res 57, 343–357 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-010-0167-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-010-0167-1

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