骨骼畸形可导致鱼类运动困难、摄食能力降低、生长缓慢、成活率低，因此畸形鱼苗的出现将会增加生产成本、影响养殖的经济效益。在海水鱼人工育苗阶段，骨骼畸形现象普遍存在，严重制约了产业的可持续发展。本研究针对卵形鲳鲹人工育苗过程中存在的仔稚鱼骨骼畸形问题，将对温度胁迫下卵形鲳鲹仔稚鱼骨骼发育进行系统研究，掌握骨骼正常发育与畸形发育的特点；利用实时荧光定量PCR的方法研究与骨骼发育相关的细胞外基质相关基因、信号分子、转录因子在温度胁迫下的表达；利用采用原位杂交与组织切片的实验方法研究与骨骼发育相关的细胞外基质基因在温度胁迫下的组织空间表达。阐明温度胁迫下卵形鲳鲹仔、稚鱼脊柱畸形的分子病理，以期丰富海水仔稚鱼发育生物学理论。

Skeletal malformations are often associated with movement, feeding, growth depression and high mortality rate. Deformed fish have low market value, and their culture is waste of time and effort. Skeletal malformations are frequently observed in hatchery-reared marine finfish larvae and juveniles. Such malformations continually hinder the further development of marine finfish aquaculture. In order to understand temperature induced skeletal malformations in artificial reared golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) larvae, a series of studies are proposed. The skeletal ontogeny of golden pompano larvae under hyperthermic conditions will be investigated to understand the characteristics of normal and abnormal development of the skeleton in fish larvae. Real-time qPCR reaction will be used to investigate the gene expressions of target genes (including ECM components, signaling molecules, and transcription factors) from fish larvae under hyperthermic condition. In situ hybridization and histology study will be performed to quantify and locate the expression of target gene (ECM components). Results from the present study will clarify the molecular pathology of vertebral deformities in hyperthermic golden pompano larvae, and enrich the theory of marine fish larvae developmental biology.