SEM of a 4 day old zebrafish embryo

SEM of a 4 day old zebrafish embryo 
The image was captured by David McCarthy using a FEI Quanta 200F Scanning Electron Microscope. Prior to imaging, the sample was chemically fixed, dehydrated in graduated alcohol, then dried and coated with 5 nm gold particles. The Zebrafish was then physically attached to a stub (specimen holder) by its tail and tilted to 65 degrees to reveal the morphology seen here.
As zebrafish embryos are approximately 1 cm in length, 3 separate images had to be taken along the length of the embryo and then stitched back together digitally. Color was then added to the black and white image and Annie Cavanagh said she “colored the image using tones and shading to try and represent the reflections from fish scales.

Image credit: David McCarthy & Annie Cavanagh