Physical disturbance induces heart stop in mangrove killifish, Kryptolebias marmoratus embryos (dataset)

Abstract

The mangrove killifish, Krypotlebias marmoratus, a self-fertilizing vertebrate, are frequently exposed to harsh environmental conditions. Diapause is one strategy they use to cope with this. Embryos are able to stop their hearts in response to light physical disturbance. This behavior, and the reasons for it, have not been previously studies. This study aims to investigate this heart stopping behavior in relation to it developmental stages. Our results show that this behavior begins in the later stages of embryonic development. Their recovery from stopping their heart changes throughout development and they retain this ability during diapause. These results provide new insight into their adaptive responses to environmental stressors and contribute to establishing this species as a model organism.