Fine structure of egg envelopes in some viviparous goodeid fishes, with comments on the relation of envelope thinness to viviparity

Abstract

The egg envelope (zona radiata) of the full-grown oocytes before fertilization was examined by electron microscope in eight viviparous species of Goodeidae (Cyprinodontiformes) from the Mexican plateau. The egg envelope is composed of a homogeneous electron-dense zona radiata perforated mainly by oocyte microvilli. The thickness of the zona radiata ranged from 0.5 μm (Xenoophorus captivus) to 1.5 μm (Ameca splendens). Egg envelopes of Ataeniobius toweri and Ilyodon xantusi appeared to have two layers, tentatively described as a zona radiata interna and a zona radiata externa. The most complex envelope was observed in Girardinichthys multiradiatus, which showed a small filamentous zona radiata interna and an electron-dense zona radiata externa covered by an additional flocculent layer, which is probably the gelatinous coat found in many eggs. The egg envelope of Ameca splendens, Girardinichthys viviparus, and Xenotoca eiseni displayed short external processes resembling attaching filaments, which are known from eggs of substrate-spawning teleosts. The thickness and differentiation of the zona radiata in other viviparous teleosts are compared and discussed with reference to mode of reproduction.