Influence of breeding time interval on egg number, mortality, and hatching of the zebra fish Brachydanio verio.

Abstract

An optimal breeding interval of 10 days was determined for zebra fish which would insure low mortality and uniform hatching among replicate samples. Egg mortality increased from 5% to 100% as the time interval between breeding periods was increased from 10 days to 40 days. Most larvae hatched 5 days after fertilization, although hatching was influenced by the time interval between breeding periods. Egg production differed among individuals of the same replicate to a greater extent than the influence of time between breeding intervals.