Effects of egg quality on normal fertilization and early development of the cod, Gadus morhua L

Normal cod eggs respond to insemination by a rapid cortical reaction followed by an increase in total osmolarity and a small increase in egg diameter. The chorion becomes harder, but this is a slower process reaching its maximum strength after c. 24 h. Bad eggs are characterized by a slower or incomplete cortical reaction, resulting in a slower rise in osmolarity and a softer chorion. Bad eggs rapidly lose their capacity for fertilization. In unfertilized eggs in sea water, no cortical reaction is observed. There is, however, a rise in total osmolarity and a hardening of the chorion.