Life cell imaging microscopy of embryo and early development of the Kol tooth-carp, Aphanius darabensis (Teleostei: Aphaniidae)

Information on early egg and embryogenesis is of critical importance in order to understand the basic biology, phylogenetic affinity, dietary requirement as well as environmental and ecological preference of a particular organism including fishes. Herein, we described and illustrated the life cell imaging microscopy of embryo and early development of larvae in the laboratory-reared fish, the Kol tooth-carp Aphanius darabensis. In A. darabensis, like several other teleost fishes, especially aphaniid, development and embryogenesis of the species initiate with external fertilization of sticky, spherical and transparent macrolecithal/telolecithal eggs with a mean diameter of 0.945-1.196 mm, and it continues with meroblastic/radial cleavage, blastulation/blastula formation, gastrulation/gastrula formation (in the result of epibolic cell migration) and organogenesis, leading to a hatched larvae of 4.5-5.2 mm in length with attached yolk sac at approximately 142 hr (at 24 +/- 1 degrees C) after fertilization which have been discussed in details. This study provides basic data for further research on reproductive biology, breeding, behaviour and conservation management of this endemic species.