PUBLICATION

Description of Embryonic Development of Spotted Green Pufferfish (Tetraodon nigroviridis)

Authors
Zaucker, A., Bodur, T., Roest Crollius, H., Hadzhiev, Y., Gehrig, J., Loosli, F., Watson, C., Müller, F.
ID
ZDB-PUB-140923-3
Date
2014
Source
Zebrafish   11(6): 509-17 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Gehrig, Jochen, Hadzhiev, Yavor, Loosli, Felix, Müller, Ferenc, Zaucker, Andreas
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Developmental Biology/methods*
  • Embryo Culture Techniques
  • Female
  • Fertilization in Vitro
  • Genome/genetics*
  • Life Cycle Stages/physiology*
  • Male
  • Models, Animal*
  • Species Specificity
  • Tetraodontiformes/embryology*
  • Tetraodontiformes/genetics*
PubMed
25243591 Full text @ Zebrafish
Abstract
Abstract Pufferfish species of the Tetraodontidae family carry the smallest genomes among vertebrates. Their compressed genomes are thought to be enriched for functional DNA compared to larger vertebrate genomes, and they are important models for comparative genomics. The significance of pufferfish as model organisms in comparative genomics is due to the availability of two sequenced genomes, that of spotted green pufferfish (Tetraodon nigroviridis) and fugu (Takifugu rubripes). However, there is only a very limited utilization of pufferfish as an experimental model organism, due to the lack of established husbandry and developmental genetics protocols. In this study, we provide the first description of the normal embryonic development of Tetraodon nigroviridis. Embryos were obtained by in vitro fertilization of eggs, and subsequent development was monitored by brightfield microscopy at constant temperature. Tetraodon development was divided into distinct stages based on diagnostic morphological features, which were adopted from published literature on normal development of other fish species like medaka (Oryzias latipes), zebrafish (Danio rerio), and fugu. Tetraodon embryos show more similar morphologies to medaka than to zebrafish, reflecting its phylogenetic position. The early developmental stage series described in this study forms the foundation for the utilization of tetraodon as an experimental model organism for comparative developmental studies.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping