Chimeric fish produced by exchanging upper parts of blastoderms in goldfish [Carassius auratus] blastulae

Chimeric fish were produced by exchanging the upper halves of blastoderms at the blastula stage between goldfish Carassius auratus common carp Cyprinus carpio hybrids with pigmented scales and goldfish with clear scales, or between goldfish with clear scales and triploid crucian carp Carassius auratus with pigmented scales. Blastoderm transplantation was carried out in Ringer's solution containing 1.6% albumen within one minute after isolation of the blastoderm. In the absence of albumen, the transplantation was not successful. The larvae and young fish were confirmed to be chimeric fish, as transplanted blastoderm cells could be detected histologically and as the fish exhibited phenotypes typical of both fish used to produce the chimeras. Blastomere mixing between the upper exchanged and lower halves of blastoderms occurred but not to a great extent, and transplanted cells from the upper halves of blastoderms labeled with biotin were mainly distributed in the head region.