EFFECTS OF SOME PURINES ON DEVELOPMENT OF THE BROWN TROUT (SALMO TRUTTA FARIO L.)

Abstract

Recently fertilized eggs of the brown trout (Salmo trutta fario L.) were subjected to each of the purines adenine and hypoxanthine in concentrations ranging from 0.025 to 0.150% for periods up to 21 days at 9.5 °C. Measurements of blastomere diameters during cleavage, of blastoderm diameters during blastulation, and of the lengths of the embryonic axes during and subsequent to gastrulation indicated that over the whole range of concentrations of both purines, these processes were significantly accelerated over those of controls. Adenine and hypoxanthine appear to be equally effective. It is concluded that an exogenous source of the purines adenine or hypoxanthine can exercise a general acceleration of the processes of cleavage, blastulation, gastrulation, and early differentiation in the brown trout embryo.