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Embryonic development and protein content of the embryos and intracapsular liquid of Melongena melongena (Caenogastropoda: Melongenidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Nicida Noriega  and
Patricia Miloslavich
Nicida Noriega
Affiliation:
Universidad Simón Bolívar, Departamento de Estudios Ambientales, Apartado 89.000, Caracas 1080, Venezuela
Patricia Miloslavich*
Affiliation:
Universidad Simón Bolívar, Departamento de Estudios Ambientales, Apartado 89.000, Caracas 1080, Venezuela
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: P. Miloslavich, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Departamento de Estudios Ambientales, Apartado 89.000, Caracas 1080, Venezuela email: pmilos@usb.ve
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Abstract

Eggs of Melongena melongena develop inside round, flat egg capsules which contain a gelatinous intracapsular fluid. To determine if this gel represents a nutritional source for the developing embryos, we measured the amount of proteins of the embryos throughout their development from the egg to the hatching stage as well as the protein content of the intracapsular liquid at the same stages of development. Egg capsules of M. melongena were collected at Golfete de Cuare, Venezuela between 1–2 m depth. Uncleaved eggs measured 352–480 μm and contained 8–15 μg of protein/egg. This amount of protein was not significantly different at the trochophore, veliger and pediveliger stages, however, it decreased significantly at the hatching stage to 6 μg/hatchling. About 95–98% of the eggs develop to the hatching stage, the remaining 2–5% remain intact in the egg capsule. Hatching takes place as a pediveliger measuring around 720 μm in shell length. The protein concentration of the intracapsular liquid was 0.18 μg/μl at the egg stage and it reached 0.13 μg/μl at the prehatching stage; however, the total amount of protein in the intracapsular fluid was not significantly different throughout the development from one stage to another. Results indicate that embryos of M. melongena use neither the intracapsular liquid as an extraembryonic food source, nor nurse eggs.

Keywords

embryonic developmentprotein contentembryosintracapsular liquidMelongena melongenaCaenogastropodaMelongenidae
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 90 , Issue 2 , March 2010 , pp. 347 - 351
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

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