Endemic diversification of the monophyletic cottoid fish species flock in Lake Baikal explored with mtDNA sequencing

In the ancient Lake Baikal in East Siberia, cottoid fishes have diversified into an endemic flock of 33 species. From an ancestral shallow-water, benthic life-style, Baikalian cottoids have shifted to deep-water life in environments even below 1500 m, and also colonized the pelagic habitat. We examined phylogenetic relationships among 22 Baikalian and 10 extra-Baikalian cottoid taxa using a total of 2822 bp of mitochondrial DNA sequence, from complete sequences of ATPase 8 and 6 and cytochrome b genes and the control region. Unlike in earlier studies, we found strong support for a monophyly of the whole endemic Baikalian cottoid diversity. The Baikalian clade, currently assigned to three families and 12 genera, appears to be nested within the Holarctic freshwater genus Cottus. In the molecular phylogeny, all but one of the current Baikalian genera formed well-supported monophyletic groups. However, the topology was inconsistent with the present morphology-based familial subdivision; particularly in positioning the genus Batrachocottus of Cottidae within Abyssocottidae. The branching order of the Baikalian genera could not be resolved completely, however; short basal branches indicate rapid diversification early in the history of the species flock. Using synonymous divergence rates from other fish species for calibration, the diversification of the Baikalian cottoids seems to have started in the Pliocene or early Pleistocene.     

Patterns of diversity, depth range and body size among pelagic fishes along a gradient of depth

Studies of geographical patterns of diversity have focused largely on compiling and analysing data to evaluate alternative hypotheses for the near‐universal decrease in species richness from the equator to the poles. Valuable insights into the mechanisms that promote diversity can come from studies of other patterns, such as variation in species distributions with elevation in terrestrial systems or with depth in marine systems. To obtain such insights, we analysed and interpreted data on species diversity, depth of occurrence and body size of pelagic fishes along an oceanic depth gradient. We used a database on pelagic marine fishes native to the north‐east Pacific Ocean between 40°N and 50°N. We used data from the Pacific Rim Fisheries Program that were obtained from commercial, management and scientific surveys between 1999 and 2000. Depth of occurrence and maximum body length were used to assess the distributions of 409 species of pelagic fishes along a depth gradient from 0 to 8000 m. A presence–absence matrix was used to classify the depth range of each species into 100‐m intervals. Atmar & Patterson's (1995 ) software was used to quantify the degree of nestedness of species distributions. Pelagic fish species diversity decreased steeply with increasing depth; diversity peaked at less than 200 m and more than half of the species had mean depths of occurrence between 0 and 300 m. The distribution of species showed a very strong nested subset pattern along the depth gradient. Whereas species with narrow ranges were generally restricted to shallow waters, wide‐ranging species occurred from near the surface to great depths. The relationship between maximum body size and mean depth range differed between teleost and elasmobranch fishes: being positive for teleosts, but negative for elasmobranches. Results support hypotheses that some combination of high productivity and warm temperature promote high species diversity, and reject those that would attribute the pattern of species richness to the mid‐domain effect, habitat area, or environmental constancy. The data provided a clear example of Rapoport's rule, a negative correlation between average depth range and species diversity.     

Environmental influences on regulation of blood plasma/serum components in teleost fishes: a review

Concentrations of both inorganic and organic blood plasma/serum components of teleost fishes were reviewed in seven habitat/life-history categories. These were: freshwater; inland saline; estuarine and nearshore marine; pelagic and deep-sea; diadromous; southern cold-water; and northern cold-water. Plasma/serum osmolalities were compared among groups acclimated to/living in fresh and in salt water. Contributions of inorganic ions and colligative and non-colligative organic molecules were evaluated including with respect to melting and freezing points, and “antifreeze activity” of plasma/serum in species from cold marine waters. Possible roles of TMAO in deep-water fishes were reviewed. Discussion also included influences of ambient salinity and temperature on concentrations of plasma/serum components. Seasonal cycles of blood plasma/serum components were discussed, along with antifreeze concentrations in other body fluids and tissues of cold-water fishes. Regulatory patterns of plasma/serum osmolalities were compared among the most euryhaline of teleosts evaluated here. Highest mean values of plasma/serum osmolalities in sea water were seen in southern cold-water and in pelagic and deep-sea fishes. The southern cold-water group also had the lowest plasma/serum freezing points among these groups. Comparisons of mean plasma/serum Na⁺ and Cl⁻ concentrations among fishes from fresh waters did not differ significantly among groups, but species from cold marine waters showed higher levels than did other groups in marine waters. Plasma/serum osmotic, Na⁺ and Cl⁻ concentrations of these seven groups of teleosts were compared with those of other fish-like vertebrate groups. Possible impacts of global warming on regulatory responses of plasma/serum components were discussed.     

Explaining bathymetric diversity patterns in marine benthic invertebrates and demersal fishes: physiological contributions to adaptation of life at depth

Bathymetric biodiversity patterns of marine benthic invertebrates and demersal fishes have been identified in the extant fauna of the deep continental margins. Depth zonation is widespread and evident through a transition between shelf and slope fauna from the shelf break to 1000 m, and a transition between slope and abyssal fauna from 2000 to 3000 m; these transitions are characterised by high species turnover. A unimodal pattern of diversity with depth peaks between 1000 and 3000 m, despite the relatively low area represented by these depths. Zonation is thought to result from the colonisation of the deep sea by shallow‐water organisms following multiple mass extinction events throughout the Phanerozoic. The effects of low temperature and high pressure act across hierarchical levels of biological organisation and appear sufficient to limit the distributions of such shallow‐water species. Hydrostatic pressures of bathyal depths have consistently been identified experimentally as the maximum tolerated by shallow‐water and upper bathyal benthic invertebrates at in situ temperatures, and adaptation appears required for passage to deeper water in both benthic invertebrates and demersal fishes. Together, this suggests that a hyperbaric and thermal physiological bottleneck at bathyal depths contributes to bathymetric zonation. The peak of the unimodal diversity–depth pattern typically occurs at these depths even though the area represented by these depths is relatively low. Although it is recognised that, over long evolutionary time scales, shallow‐water diversity patterns are driven by speciation, little consideration has been given to the potential implications for species distribution patterns with depth. Molecular and morphological evidence indicates that cool bathyal waters are the primary site of adaptive radiation in the deep sea, and we hypothesise that bathymetric variation in speciation rates could drive the unimodal diversity–depth pattern over time. Thermal effects on metabolic‐rate‐dependent mutation and on generation times have been proposed to drive differences in speciation rates, which result in modern latitudinal biodiversity patterns over time. Clearly, this thermal mechanism alone cannot explain bathymetric patterns since temperature generally decreases with depth. We hypothesise that demonstrated physiological effects of high hydrostatic pressure and low temperature at bathyal depths, acting on shallow‐water taxa invading the deep sea, may invoke a stress–evolution mechanism by increasing mutagenic activity in germ cells, by inactivating canalisation during embryonic or larval development, by releasing hidden variation or mutagenic activity, or by activating or releasing transposable elements in larvae or adults. In this scenario, increased variation at a physiological bottleneck at bathyal depths results in elevated speciation rate. Adaptation that increases tolerance to high hydrostatic pressure and low temperature allows colonisation of abyssal depths and reduces the stress–evolution response, consequently returning speciation of deeper taxa to the background rate. Over time this mechanism could contribute to the unimodal diversity–depth pattern.     

Long-term changes in deep-water fish populations in the northeast Atlantic: a deeper reaching effect of fisheries?

A severe scarcity of life history and population data for deep-water fishes is a major impediment to successful fisheries management. Long-term data for non-target species and those living deeper than the fishing grounds are particularly rare. We analysed a unique dataset of scientific trawls made from 1977 to 1989 and from 1997 to 2002, at depths from 800 to 4800 m. Over this time, overall fish abundance fell significantly at all depths from 800 to 2500 m, considerably deeper than the maximum depth of commercial fishing (approx. 1600 m). Changes in abundance were significantly larger in species whose ranges fell at least partly within fished depths and did not appear to be consistent with any natural factors such as changes in fluxes from the surface or the abundance of potential prey. If the observed decreases in abundance are due to fishing, then its effects now extend into the lower bathyal zone, resulting in declines in areas that have been previously thought to be unaffected. A possible mechanism is impacts on the shallow parts of the ranges of fish species, resulting in declines in abundance in the lower parts of their ranges. This unexpected phenomenon has important consequences for fisheries and marine reserve management, as this would indicate that the impacts of fisheries can be transmitted into deep offshore areas that are neither routinely monitored nor considered as part of the managed fishery areas.     

Some peculiarities of brain phospholipids in deep sea fishes]

Total phospholipids (PL) as well as the content of various phospholipid classes and their fatty acid composition have been investigated in the brain of mesopelagic and abyssal marine teleosts. These species were compared to shallow water ones. The brain of deep sea fishes was found to be very poor in PL as compared to the brain of mesopelagic ans surface water species. No differences concerning the brain PL content were revealed between the two last mentioned groups. The relative content of separate PL classes was very similar in all the species studied irrespectively of the depth of their habitat. Peculiarities were found in fatty acid composition of individual PL from deep sea species as compared to surface ones. The deeper the habitat, the lower the content of saturated fatty acids, especially of the stearic acid. The lowest content of saturated fatty acids, maximum level of polyenoic fatty acids as well as some peculiarities in the relative content of particular fatty acids were found in the brain of ultraabyssal (6, 000 m) Leucicorus sp.     

Structure-based analysis of high pressure adaptation of alpha-actin

Deep-sea fishes occur to depths of several thousand meters, and at these abyssal depths encounter pressures that shallower living fishes cannot tolerate. Tolerance of abyssal pressures by deep-sea fish is likely to depend in part on adaptive modifications of proteins. However, the types of structural modifications to proteins that allow function at high pressure have not been discovered. To elucidate the mechanisms of protein adaptation to high pressure, we cloned the alpha-skeletal actin cDNAs from two abyssal Coryphaenoides species, C. armatus and C. yaquinae, and identified three amino acid substitutions, V54A or L67P, Q137K, and A155S, that distinguish these abyssal actins from orthologs of alpha-actin from non-abyssal Coryphaenoides. These substitutions, Q137K and A155S, prevent the dissociation reactions of ATP and Ca2+ from being influenced by high pressure. In particular, the lysine residue at position 137 results in a much smaller apparent volume change in the Ca2+ dissociation reaction. The V54A or L67P substitution reduces the volume change associated with actin polymerization and has a role in maintaining the DNase I activity of actin at high pressure. Together, these results indicate that a few amino acid substitutions in key functional positions can adaptively alter the pressure sensitivity of a protein.     

Distribution patterns of fishes in a canyon-shaped reservoir

In August 2004 and 2005, an extensive study of the fish community was carried out in the largest water supply reservoir in the Czech Republic and Central Europe, the canyon‐shaped ?elivka Reservoir, using a fleet of Nordic multimesh gillnets. Fishes were sampled at eight locations along the longitudinal profile of the reservoir and at five benthic depth layers covering depths from the surface down to 18 m (benthic gillnet 1·5 m high), and at three pelagic depth layers down to the depth of 5 m above the bottom (pelagic gillnets 4·5 m high). Catches of both juvenile (age 0+ year) and adult (fishes >1 year) fishes were highest in the upper layers of the water column (i.e. in the epilimnion down to 5 m, and down to 10 m in the benthic habitats). Along the tributary–dam axis in the pelagic habitats, both juvenile and adult fishes preferred the upper part of the reservoir, where the maximum number of species and also the greatest abundance of zooplankton were found. In the benthic habitats, fishes selected location according to factors other than trophic status. More juvenile fishes were recorded in the benthic habitats than in the pelagic habitats. Depth had the largest explanatory power for predicting fish community composition, followed by the affiliation with benthic and pelagic habitats, and location on the longitudinal axis of the reservoir. The fish community was represented mainly by cyprinids and consisted of two distinct groups of species, with bleak Alburnus alburnus, rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus and asp Aspius aspius dominating the offshore group while perch Perca fluviatilis and ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus were affiliated with the inshore group of the adult fish community. Roach Rutilus rutilus, bream Abramis brama and pikeperch Sander lucioperca occurred in important proportions in both the inshore and the offshore zones. All species, with the exceptions of adult perch (1+ year and older), 0+ year perch and 0+ year roach, preferred the most eutrophic tributary part of the reservoir. The fish community was relatively stable between the 2 years sampled.     

Energetic and life-history patterns of deep-sea benthic, benthopelagic and seamount-associated fish

A review of energy use and the life histories of deep-water demersal fishes suggests that there are two primary groups or guilds; those that live dispersed over the sea floor and those that aggregate in association with topographic features like seamounts. Dispersed deep-sea fishes typically have a body plan designed for slow cruising or 'sit and wait' predation, and are characterized by very low energy stores and metabolic rates. Scaled for body size, the metabolism of these fishes was comparable to that of bathypelagic fishes. On the other hand, aggregatory deep-water species are characterized by robust morphology and strong locomotory ability to maintain themselves in environments characterized by strong, variable currents. Their flesh has high protein and lipid but low water content. The metabolic rate of orange roughy, an aggregating deep-water species, was substantially higher than that of dispersed deep-water fishes and was comparable to that of haddock, a shelf demersal species. However, although the estimated ration of orange roughy was higher than that of dispersed demersal deep-water species, its growth rate was comparable and its growth efficiency was far lower due to its high metabolic costs. Large deep-water dispersed fish species are characterized by late maturity and an extended reproductive period, but these characteristics are less pronounced than in deep seamount-associated species, which may live in excess of 100 years.     

Fish biodiversity of Saint Peter and Saint Paulʼs Archipelago,Mid-Atlantic Ridge,Brazil: new records and a species database

Saint Peter and Saint Paul's Archipelago (SPSPA), one of the smallest and most isolated island groups in the world, is situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, between Brazil and the African continent. SPSPA has low species richness and high endemism; nonetheless, the diversity of fishes from deep habitats (>30 m depth) had not been previously studied in detail. Several expeditions conducted between 2009 and 2018 explored the shallow and deep reefs of SPSPA using scuba, closed-circuit rebreathers, manned submersibles, baited remote underwater stereo-videos (stereo-BRUV) and fishing between 0 and 1050 m depth. These expeditions yielded 41 new records of fishes for SPSPA: 9 in open waters, 9 in shallow waters (0–30 m), 8 in mesophotic ecosystems (30–150 m) and 15 in deeper reefs (>150 m). Combined with literature records of adult pelagic, shallow and deep-reef species, as well as larvae, the database of the fish biodiversity for SPSPA currently comprises 225 species (169 recorded as adult fishes and 79 as larvae, with 23 species found in both stages). Most of them (112) are pelagic, 86 are reef-associated species and 27 are deep-water specialists. Species accumulation curves show that the number of fish species has not yet reached an asymptote. Whereas the number of species recorded in SPSPA is similar to that in other oceanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the proportion of shorefishes is relatively lower, and the endemism level is the third highest in the Atlantic. Twenty-nine species are listed as threatened with extinction. Observations confirm the paucity of top predators on shallow rocky reefs of the island, despite the presence of several pelagic shark species around SPSPA. Because all of the endemic species are reef associated, it is argued that the new marine-protected areas created by the Brazilian government do not ensure the protection and recovery of SPSPA's biodiversity because they allow exploitation of the most vulnerable species around the archipelago itself. This study suggests a ban on reef fish exploitation inside an area delimited by the 1000 m isobath around the islands (where all known endemics are concentrated) as the main conservation strategy to be included in the SPSPA management plan being prepared by the Brazilian government.     

Ascidians, including specimens from the deep sea, collected by the R.V. 'Vema' and now in the American Museum of Natural History

Ascidians collected by the R.V. 'Vema', from the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans, include eight species described as new and one new form. These are: Polycitor fungiforms, Poly-citor crypticus, Corellopsis translucida, Adagnesia bifida, Polyandrocarpa oligocarpa, Cnemido-carpa peruviana, Culeolusparvus, Molgula (Molguloides) sphaeroidea and Ciona intestinalis forma costata. Six of the new species are from depths greater than 3000 m; the remaining two, and the new form are from shallower water. The distribution of the deep-sea species is discussed in relation to the zoogeography of abyssal faunas.
Most of the abyssal species have functional branchial stigmata and appear to be deposit feeders, but the stomach contents of Hexacrobylus indicus confirm that this species takes in a variety of relatively large animals in addition to bottom deposit.     

Adult antarctic krill feeding at abyssal depths

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is a large euphausiid, widely distributed within the Southern Ocean [1], and a key species in the Antarctic food web [2]. The Discovery Investigations in the early 20(th) century, coupled with subsequent work with both nets and echosounders, indicated that the bulk of the population of postlarval krill is typically confined to the top 150 m of the water column [1, 3, 4]. Here, we report for the first time the existence of significant numbers of Antarctic krill feeding actively at abyssal depths in the Southern Ocean. Biological observations from the deep-water remotely operated vehicle Isis in the austral summer of 2006/07 have revealed the presence of adult krill (Euphausia superba Dana), including gravid females, at unprecedented depths in Marguerite Bay, western Antarctic Peninsula. Adult krill were found close to the seabed at all depths but were absent from fjords close inshore. At all locations where krill were detected they were seen to be actively feeding, and at many locations there were exuviae (cast molts). These observations revise significantly our understanding of the depth distribution and ecology of Antarctic krill, a central organism in the Southern Ocean ecosystem.     

Spatial distribution and features of biology of Pacific sleeper shark Somniosus pacificus in the North Pacific

The results of the investigations of spatial and vertical distribution of Pacific sleeper shark Somniosus pacificus in the North Pacific Ocean conducted for many years are presented. In addition, the size distribution and features of biology of the species are studied. The largest abundance of the species is registered in the Bering Sea, western Gulf of Alaska, eastern Aleutian Islands, and Pacific waters of northern Kuril Islands and southeastern Kamchatka. The species is the most abundant near the bottom at the depth from 200 to 700 m and in the pelagic waters at a depth of 100–200 m. The average depths of the catches of Pacific sleeper shark substantially change over the year reaching minimum values in June and maximum values in December. Vertical daily migrations (to the water column at night and to the bottom during the day) are registered. The catches are represented by fish 26–352 cm in length, and sharks 100–200 cm in length prevail. The males are noticeably smaller than the females. In general, condition of the fishes decreases and feeding intensity increases with growth. Food composition substantially changes with the increase of body length: consumption of squids decreases and consumption of crustaceans, fishes, and fishery wastes increases. The food composition is slightly different in the females and males.     

Complex wasp-waist regulation of pelagic ecosystems in the Pacific Ocean

‘Wasp-waist’ control of marine ecosystems is driven by a combination of top-down and bottom-up forcing by a few abundant short-lived species occupying intermediate trophic levels that form a narrow ‘waist’ through which energy flow from low to high trophic levels is controlled. It has been assumed that wasp-waist control occurs primarily in highly productive and species-poor systems (e.g. upwelling regions). Two large, species-rich, pelagic ecosystems in the relatively oligotrophic eastern and western Pacific Ocean also show wasp-waist-like structure, in that short-lived and fast-growing cephalopods and fishes at intermediate trophic levels comprise the vast majority of the biomass. Possible forcing dynamics of these systems were examined using ecosystem models by altering the biomass of phytoplankton (bottom-up forcing), large pelagic predators (top-down forcing), and intermediate ‘wasp-waist’ functional groups independently and observing how these changes propagated throughout the ecosystem. The largest effects were seen when altering the biomass of mid trophic-level epipelagic and mesopelagic fishes, where dramatic trophic cascades occurred both upward and downward in the system. We conclude that the high productivity and standing biomass of animals at intermediate trophic levels has a strong top-down influence on the abundance of primary producers. Furthermore, their importance as prey for large predators results in bottom-up controls on populations at higher trophic levels. We show that these tropical pelagic ecosystems possess a complex structure whereby several waist groups and alternate trophic pathways from primary producers to apex predators can cause unpredictable effects when the biomasses of particular functional groups are altered. Such models highlight the possible structuring mechanisms in pelagic systems, which have implications for fisheries that exploit these wasp-waist groups, such as squid fisheries, as well as for fisheries of top predators such as tunas and billfishes that prey upon wasp-waist species.     

Distribution and abundance of demersal fishes and of some other marine benthic organisims on the continental shelf (0-60 m) of French Guiana

In order to establish the distribution and abundance of demersal fishes and of some other benthic organisms on the continental shelf of French Guiana (western central Atlantic), ninety-five bottom trawls were effected at depths ranging from 0 to 60 m in October 1993. A total of one hundred and ten different species were identified including eight decapod crustaceans, two cephalopods, one sea turtle and ninety-nine fishes. Despite the high species richness in benthic macrofauna, most species showed a low count, and only twelve of them comprised more than 80% of total captures. This study has mainly highlighted the existence of a well-pronounced bathymetric zonation. This phenomenon would appear to be linked to environmental factors, especially salinity and substrate granulometry, which are greatly conditioned by fresh water and sediment flowing in large rivers such the Amazon River. The results revealed three distinct faunistic assemblages: a littoral (or shallow-water) community (0-30 m) distributed in coastal estuarine waters characterized by muddy bottoms, a middle-shelf community (30-50 m), and a lower-shelf community (depths > 50 m) distributed in deeper marine waters characterized by sandy bottoms.     

海水来源的548株真菌的近海及远海分布模式及其抑菌活性分析

[目的]海洋真菌是新颖天然产物的理想来源.本研究旨在加深对可培养海洋真菌多样性的了解,以及挖掘具有应用潜力的海洋真菌.[方法]采用膜过滤法分离近海和远海海水样品中的真菌,通过菌株分离纯化、ITS基因序列测序,分析浅海带、半深海带和深海带海水样品中可培养真菌的多样性.在此基础上,采用固体平板法筛选具有抑菌活性的菌株.[结...     

Antipredator defense and phenotypic plasticity of sclerites from Renilla muelleri, a tropical sea pansy

Calcified sclerites are common in many benthic marine invertebrates, and despite their widespread occurrence, little is known about their ecological roles. Previous studies suggested that the sclerite composition of coral colonies may be altered in response to environmental cues such as predation and water motion. Furthermore, larger sclerites are thought to be more effective than small ones in deterring predators, while small sclerites may provide greater stiffness and resistance to deformation. The present study compared the length of the sclerites of the sea pansy Renilla muelleri from three depths in Guanabara Bay in southeastern Brazil. Our results show that sclerites are larger in deep-water specimens than in those from shallow water. Field assays were conducted in which sclerites from sea pansies at three depths were incorporated into artificial foods and offered to a natural assemblage of fish. These assays demonstrate that sclerites from R. muelleri from all three depths significantly reduced consumption by generalist carnivorous fishes. We conclude that R. muelleri uses skeletal elements not only to give the body its form but also as a defense against biotic threats.     

Up‐and‐down shift in residence depth of slickheads (Alepocephalidae) revealed by otolith stable oxygen isotopic composition

Otolith δ¹⁸O profiles for four slickhead species (Alepocephalidae) suggested that Alepocephalus umbriceps, Talismania okinawensis and Rouleina watasei migrated hundreds of metres to shallower depths during the juvenile to young stages before returning to their original depth or even deeper waters. Xenodermichthys nodulosus gradually shifted residence depth from shallow to deeper water during their life. These migratory patterns indicated that the slickheads examined had allopatric residence depths at different life stages, which might enhance the pelagic survival and growth rates of the juvenile and young fishes.     

Ecologic Aspects of Protozoan Infections in Antarctic Fishes1

ABSTRACT. Plankton and fishes are abundant in Antarctic waters. Benthic invertebrates and fishes of the continental shelf are well-known, but the abyssal benthos below the highly productive open ocean is largely unsampled. The fishes are adapted (with antifreeze properties) to temperatures that are often or always below the freezing points of their body fluids. All the major groups of helminth parasites are found in or on these fishes. The few records of protozoa include Cryptobia, haemogregarines, a monoflagellate, the myxosporan Neoparvicapsula, and (in this paper) Ceratomyxa. Myxidium, Zschokkella, and a coccidian. Most of the protozoa were obtained from nototheniid fishes. No protozoa and few, if any, other parasites were recovered from 173 midwater fishes collected from outside of the continental shelf. Differences in infections in different localities and depths are due to many ecologic factors needing much more study of their relations to parasitism. These factors include temperatures, salinities, densities of fish populations, food and feeding habits, migrations of adult and immature fishes, availability of potential intermediate hosts, and marine “snow.”     

Changes in teleost yolk proteins during oocyte maturation: correlation of yolk proteolysis with oocyte hydration

Yolk proteins of prematuration occytes and postmaturation eggs were compared by SDS gel electrophoresis in several teleosts, including freshwater species that produce demersal eggs, estuarine and marine species with demersal eggs, and marine species with pelagic eggs. In certain teleosts distinct changes in yolk protein banding patterns during oocyte maturation are suggestive of extensive secondary proteolysis of yolk proteins at this time; proteolysis is most pronounced in marine fishes with pelagic eggs. In many teleosts the oocyte swells by hydration during maturation; this hydration is also most pronounced in marine fishes with pelagic eggs. The extent of yolk proteolysis is well correlated with the extent of oocyte hydration during maturation.