Abstract: The embryonic development of burbot（Lota lota） was observed consecutively and divided into 6 stages fertilized egg,cell division,blastula,gastrula,neurula and organogenesis,including twenty developmental phases,whose characteristics were described.The larvae hatched 998 hours after fertilization at water temperature of 0~3℃,with a cumulative temperature of 887~1023h·℃.The comparison of the fertilization rate between spontaneous and artificial insemination showed that there was about 10% higher fertilization rate in the artificial insemination（30%） than that in the spontaneous fertilization（19.4%）.It was found that various embryonic development stages showed different sensitivity to the ambient environment.Three peaks of mortality were observed on from blastdisc stage to two-celled stage and from morula stage to early gastrula stage,and hatching stage during the embryonic development of the turbot.

Key words: borbot(Lota lota), embryonic development, accumulative temperature, fertilization rate, survival