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Fig. 6
Development of terminal neuromasts is disrupted in germ-free embryos. Scanning electron microscopy of terminal neuromasts of 3dpf larvae. A Tail of a CV larvae. B Tail of GF larvae. i–iii Representative individual terminal neuromasts of CV 3dpf larvae (scale bars = 5um). iv–vi Representative individual terminal neuromasts of GF 3dpf larvae (scale bars = 5um). Terminal neuromasts of CV larvae had an average aperture diameter of 3.44um, which was significantly larger (p<0.01, Student’s t test) than GF larvae, which had an average aperture diameter of 2.69 um (standard deviations 0.74 and 0.84, respectively). Average aperture area was also significantly larger (p<0.01, Student’s t test) in CV larvae at 8.64um compared to an average of 5.00um in the GF group (standard deviations 3.52 and 2.93, respectively) (22 neuromasts imaged from 8 larvae in the CV group, 14 neuromasts from 6 larvae in the GF group)