A query about frogspawn

[Primrose]

The ice on my minipond has melted this morning and I'm thrilled to find I've got several batches of frogspawn although I've not seen any frogs this year at all. However, in some batches the little black eggs have large white spots on them. What does this mean? Have the eggs been frosted and killed or are in they defective in some other way and should I remove these to avoid having additional decaying matter in my pond?

[Geoff]

I think they are dead with a white spot but usually it doesn't affect the whole clump. I don't know if you need to be worried about removing the dead material.

[FelixLeiter]

Eggs with white centres have not been fertilised. There are always a few like this. The tadpoles will eat these when they hatch, along with the jelly from their own eggs. There is a species of tropical frog which deliberately lays infertile eggs to nourish its young — this is all they eat.

Edit: Just re-read your post: eggs black but with white spots. I don't know what this means, sorry.

[Motherwoman]

I think they are dead ones that have been frosted. I had some like it a couple of years ago but the ones underneath will hopefully have been protected and should grow as normal, so don't try to seperate the clumps as you could do more harm than good. The canabalistic little tinkers will eat their dead comrades!