• Applied Microscopy
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• 제45권3호
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• pp.144-149
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• 2015

Nothobranchius guentheri and Nothobranchius patrizii have special life cycle to sustain the dry season. So, we investigated the fertilized eggs morphology, and compared ultrastructures of surface structures and the cross section of fertilized egg envelopes using light and electron microscopes to determine whether these fertilized eggs and egg envelopes show the species specificity or have special structure to sustain the dry season. These fertilized eggs were spherical, yellowish, demersal and adhesive, and had a one-sided large oil droplet. The whip-like structures, adhesive filament were distributed throughout egg envelope in both species. But, that of N. guentheri was covered with fibrous structures, and that of N. patrizii was smooth. The egg envelope consisted of two distinct layers: an outer, electron-dense layer containing adhesive filaments and an inner layer of 16 to 17 horizontal electron-dense lamellae alternating with 15 to 16 interlamellae of lower electron density in both species. The external shapes of fertilized egg and section of fertilized egg envelope were same, but ultrastructure of adhesive filaments on the outer surface was concluded to show species specificity. Our data indicate that the ultrastructural differences of adhesive filament and outer surface of fertilized egg envelope show species specificity although these species belong to same genus.