Egg mass gelatinous envelopes of yellow goosefish Lophius litulon protect the internal eggs and larvae from salinity stress and desiccation.

ABSTRACT: Some teleosts, including yellow goosefish Lophius litulon, spawn gelatinous egg masses, but the biological function of the gelatinous matrix remains poorly understood due to limited experimental access. This study tested whether the gelatinous membrane of L. litulon egg masses, which naturally float just below the sea surface in coastal areas, protects eggs and larvae from abiotic stress. Salinity stress experiments using 782 and 605 eggs were conducted. Embryos retained within gelatinous membranes maintained high survival and normal growth after 45 and 90 h of exposure to 50% diluted salinity, whereas those removed showed significant reductions (two-way ANOVA; p < 0.001 and = 0.015, respectively). Additionally, experiments using 449 and 599 larvae examined responses to 24-hour exposure un

SUBMITTER: Ishikawa T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12816668 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature