CHIMERIC FISH PRODUCED BY EXCHANGING UPPER PARTS OF BLASTODERMS IN GOLDFISH BLASTULAS

Chimeric fish were produced by exchanging the upper halves of blastode rms at the blastula stage between goldfish-common carp hybrids with pi gmented scales and goldfish with clear scales, or between goldfish wit h clear scales and triploid crucian carp with pigmented scales. Blasto derm transplantation was carried out in Ringer's solution containing 1 .6% albumen within one minute after isolation of the blastoderm. In th e absence of albumen, the transplantation was not successful. The larv ae and young fish were confirmed to be chimeric fish, as transplanted blastoderm cells could be detected histologically and as the fish exhi bited phenotypes typical of both fish used to produce the chimeras. Bl astomere mixing between the upper exchanged and lower halves of blasto derms occurred but not to a great extent, and transplanted cells from the upper halves of blastoderms labeled with biotin were mainly distri buted in the head region.