DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps285169
copiedEffects of egg size, food supply and spawning time on early life history success of haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus
ABSTRACT: Eggs and larvae produced by pairs of spawning haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus were monitored between 2001 and 2003 to determine the effects of spawning time, egg size and food supply on early life history success. Females usuallyreleased eggs at 3 d intervals. All females exhibited a continuous decrease in egg diameter and dry weight with consecutive batches, but the decrease in size did not influence fertilization or hatching success. Larval size (standard length and dryweight), yolk area, eye diameter, myotome height, and finfold area were all positively related to egg size and therefore decreased between early- and late-season larvae produced by the same spawning pairs. Differences in larval morphology persisted for atleast the first 5 d after hatching. Jaws were not developed at hatching (5°C), but jaw length did show a strong positive relationship with egg size at 5 d post-hatch (dph). The ability of newly hatched larvae to withstand periods of starvation wasdirectly related to initial egg size. Under high prey abundance (5000 l-1) larval survival to 20 dph was highly variable (1.8 to 50.7%) with no differences in survivorship or specific growth rate (0.818 to 0.936% d-1 instandard length) for larvae from early-, middle- and late-season egg batches. With low prey density (1000 l-1) survival of larvae from late-season egg batches was significantly lower (0.4%) than those from early egg batches (1.8%). Nodifferences in larval specific growth rate existed between early and late batches, but growth rate was reduced in both cases with low food abundance (0.683 to 0.690 d-1 in standard length). Results suggest that smaller larvae produced latein the spawning season have reduced feeding capabilities and may experience lower survivorship in the ocean than larger, early-season larvae.
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R. M. Rideout (Corresponding Author)
- Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 531 Brandy Cove Road, St. Andrews, New Brunswick E5B 2L9, Canada
- Department of Biology and Centre for Coastal Studies and Aquaculture, University of New Brunswick Saint John, NewBrunswick E2L 4L5, Canada
E. A. Trippel (Co-author)
- Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 531 Brandy Cove Road, St. Andrews, New Brunswick E5B 2L9, Canada
M. K. Litvak (Co-author)
- Department of Biology and Centre for Coastal Studies and Aquaculture, University of New Brunswick Saint John, NewBrunswick E2L 4L5, Canada
