Induction of triploid embryos by heat shock in the chilean northern scallop argopecten purpuratus lamarck, 1819

Abstract

Triploidy in embryos of the Chilean northern scallop, Argopecten purpuratus Lamarck, 1819, was induced with heat shock. Ploidy levels were assessed by chromosome counting after 3 h from embryos at the 8–16 cell stage of development. The efficiency of induction varied with the time of treatment post-insemination and the temperature of the shock. The duration of the shock showed a positive correlation with the percentage of triploids, the highest of which was obtained using 31°C for 15 min applied 10 min after insemination (66.7 %) but with low percentage of survival embryos after 3 h (26.4 %) and 18 days (11.2 %). The optimal procedure for triploidy induction (62.7 %) and survival after 3 h (62 %) and 18 days of culture (30.5 %) was the heat shock of 31°C for 10 min applied 10 min after fertilisation. We observed no significant difference in growth of shell length between controls and treated larvae after 18 days of culture. © The Royal Society of New Zealand 1995.