This light micrograph shows the frog spawn of the European edible frog Rana temporaria, magnified 13 times. The male fertilizes the eggs externally as the female lays them in the pond. The eggs float in a tapioca-like mass at the surface. Their gelatinous coating protects the developing embryos from shock and drying out, and makes attack by predators more difficult. Tadpoles hatch from the eggs to live and grow in water, gradually metamorphosing into amphibious adults.