It was established that in the carp the process of embryonic and early postembryonic development was accompanied by the increase in the activity of both the trypsin- and chemotrypsin-like peptide hydrolases. This increase is most evident in larvae with resorbing yolk. The total and protein nitrogen content suffers no changes during embryonic and early postembryonic development. The content of non-protein nitrogen increases from the stage of the middle of segmentation on attaining the maximum level in larvae with resorbing yolk.