Embryonic development characteristics and host mussel utilization of flat bitterling <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acheilognathus rhombeus</Emphasis> (Cyprinidae) during winter in Korea

This study aimed to investigate the embryonic development characteristics and host mussel utilization of Acheilognathus rhombeus to determine its adaptations or host utilization for improving survival during winter in the wild; the study was conducted from August 2014 to May 2015. Spawning of A. rhombeus occurred between mid-September and early November, peaking between late September and early October of 2014 when the water temperature was 19–21°C. The embryos of A. rhombeus were first found in early October of 2014 and remained inside the host mussel for 7 months. Development retardation and diapause in embryonic stages (stages C and D) occurred before eye pigmentation and continued until late March of 2015. Subsequently, the embryos resumed development (stage E) when the water temperature increased to about 10 °C. The positions during the development of A. rhombeus embryos in the mussels were mainly present in the farthest suprabranchial cavity and not in the water tube. The embryos were frequently found in the two inner demibranches of the four gills of the mussels regardless of their sex. We assume that embryonic diapause and use of suprabranchial cavity and inner demibranches of the gills of the mussels by A. rhombeus might be the optimal adaptation to maintain high embryonic survival in low water temperature during winter and to avoid interspecific competition.