Effects of mechanical and enzymatic dispersal of blastomeres and embryo’s age (1.25 and 4 h) on the number and survival of the blastodermal cells (BCs) obtained were followed, over a 24-h long period, in zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio). The study showed that, regardless of dispersion technique and embryo’s age, dispersion resulted in harvesting about 97% live BCs. In each case, the proportion of live BCs was found to decrease highly significantly (p ≤? 0.01) after 24 hours of culture. The final proportion of live BCs amounted to 89.8% in the mechanically dispersed blastomeres and 91.0% in those subjected to enzymatic dispersion, no significant differences being found between the two groups. Highly significant (p ≤ 0.01) differences in survival rates were revealed between the proportions of live BCs obtained, after a 24-h long culture, from embryos incubated for 1.5 h (85.3%) and for 4 h. The study showed that the blastoderm dispersion technique did not affect the proportion and survival of the BCs obtained; although the embryo’s developmental stage exerted no effect on the proportion of live BCs obtained, the survival rate was higher in those cells obtained from older embryos.

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