Embryonic development of Atya gabonesis (Giebel, 1875) from River Niger, Jebba, Jebba, Kwara State, Nigeria
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Abstract
Embryonic development of Atya gabonensis was investigated in the River Niger at Jebba. One hundred (100) broodstock specimens of both sexes were collected from the river in March 2020 by fishermen, who picked them from under rocks and crevices. The specimens were transported to the laboratory for further studies. Species identification was carried out using the keys of Schneider, while sex determination was based on the morphological features described by Anetekhai.
The investigation revealed eleven stages of embryonic development. In stage I, no embryonic structure was visible. Cleavage became evident in stage II, while the blastula stage was observed in stage III. Gastrula formation was evident in stage IV. The formation of nauplius stages at different levels of development was observed from stages V to XI. The final stage revealed a well-developed organism with distinct segmentation into cephalothorax and abdomen.
The study concluded that A. gabonensis completes its embryonic development in freshwater conditions and may serve as a suitable candidate for freshwater prawn culture. These findings constitute the first documented database on the embryonic development of A. gabonensis.
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