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How do most bony fishes reproduce through external fertilization?
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Diodon hystrix is a species of porcupine fish. These fishes are short and broad-bodied, with large eyes and spines covering their skin. Like puffer fishes, they inflate their bodies when threatened.
Most bony fishes reproduce through external fertilization by being oviparous, or egg-laying. In this process, females release a large number of small eggs into the water, which may be scattered in open water, deposited on the bottom, or attached to plants.123
Simultaneously, males release sperm in the form of a milky white substance called milt. This milt fertilizes the eggs outside the female's body. Because the eggs and the resulting embryos develop externally in the water, they are highly vulnerable to predators, leading to a high mortality rate. To increase the chances of survival, many species engage in complex courtship behaviors, and some provide parental care by building nests or guarding the eggs.132