Preliminary observations on the spawning conditions of the European amphioxus (Branchiostoma lanceolatum) in captivity

• DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.20025
• Publication Date: 2004-07-26T22:00:52Z
• Authors: Michael Fuentes; Michael Schubert; Diana Dalfo; Simona Candiani; Elia Benito; Josep Gardenyes; Laura Godoy; Frederic Moret; Margarita Illas; Iain Patten; Jon Permanyer; Diana Oliveri; Gilles Boeuf; Jack Falcon; Mario Pestarino; Jordi Garcia Fern...; Ricard Albalat; Vincent Laudet; Philippe Vernier; Hector Escriva
• Keywords: Spawn (biology); Captivity

Abstract Members of the subphylum Cephalochordata, which include genus Branchiostoma (i.e. amphioxus), represent closest living invertebrate relatives vertebrates. To date, developmental studies have been carried out on three amphioxus species (the European lanceolatum , East Asian B. belcheri and Floridian‐Caribbean floridae ). In most instances, adult animals collected from field during their ripe season allowed (or stimulated) to spawn in laboratory. any given year, dates laboratory pawning limited by two factors. First, natural populations these studied are ripe, at most, for only a couple months each year and, second, even when apparently unpredictable intervals every several days. This supply material hinders development as model system because this limitation makes it more difficult work protocols new techniques. Therefore we developing methods increasing number spawning per year. The present study found that Mediterranean population near Franco‐Spanish border spawned naturally end May again June 2003. Re‐feeding experiments demonstrated gonads emptied refilled with gametes June. We also large (both, obtained kept fed weeks) could be induced phase if they were temperature shocked (spawning occurred 36 hours after sustained increase water 19°C 25°C). J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 302B:384–391, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.