614 
Fishery Bulletin 95(3), 1997 
Table 1 
Embryonic development of Podothecus sachi eggs from 3 specimens 20 hours after immersion in seawater or ovarian fluid at 6°C. 
Rearing medium 
Percent (no.) of 
2-cell stage eggs 
Percent (no.) of 
undeveloped eggs 
Percent (no.) of 
dead eggs 
Seawater 
97.5 (118) 
1.7 (2) 
0.8 (1) 
Ovarian fluid 
0 (0) 
98.5 (133) 
1.5 (2) 
24 h after egg transfer from ovarian fluid to seawater 
96.3 (130) 
1.5 (2) 
2.2 (3) 
Seawater 
95.5 (106) 
3.6 (4) 
0.9 (1) 
Ovarian fluid 
0 (0) 
98.3 (117) 
1.7 (2) 
24 h after egg transfer from ovarian fluid to seawater 
95.8 (114) 
1.7 (2) 
2.5 (3) 
Seawater 
97.2 (141) 
1.4 (2) 
1.4 (2) 
Ovarian fluid 
0 (0) 
98.4 (124) 
1.6 (2) 
24 h after egg transfer from ovarian fluid to seawater 
93.7 (118) 
4.8 (6) 
1.6 (2) 
such eggs were transferred into seawater, they de- 
veloped to the 2-cell stage within 24 hours. This find- 
ing indicates that egg development was initiated only 
after the eggs came in contact with seawater. It ap- 
peared that every female used in this study had copu- 
lated and that spermatozoa had already been trans- 
ferred into the ovarian cavity. 
Histological observation of gametes before 
exposure to seawater 
The micropyle of P. sachi eggs consisted of a micro- 
pylar vestibule, a funnellike depression about 100 
pm across at the level of the egg surface, and a mi- 
cropylar canal penetrating the approximately 90-gm 
