Effects of female attributes and egg properties on offspring viability in a rheophilic cyprinid, Chondrostoma nasus

Abstract

Intraspecific differences in female attributes influence egg quality and, as a consequence, offspring viability. To further investigate this hypothesis, we compared female attributes, egg size, biochemical egg composition, and survival potential of offspring from 20 female spawners of an endangered rheophilic cyprinid, Chondrostoma nasus. Egg size was strongly related to female age and size. The chemical composition of egg dry matter was influenced by female size to a lesser extent. No significant relationship between egg size and egg dry matter composition was observed. Mortality curves revealed three distinct periods of elevated mortality: early mortality, hatching mortality, and starvation mortality, separated by periods of reduced mortality. No significant correlations between embryonic mortality (early mortality and hatching mortality) and egg size were found. Starvation mortality was size selective: resistance to starvation correlated significantly with egg size and egg energy content. The direct and indirect relationhips between female attributes, egg quality, and offspring viability show that the two main components of offspring viability (embryonic mortality and larval resistance to starvation) are not interrelated and that the sequence female attributes - egg size - larval resistance to starvation is the main pathway along which size selectivity operates.

Paternal identity impacts embryonic development for two species of freshwater fish

“…Paternal contributions were believed to have only a limited influence on embryonic development and larval fitness traits in fishes as compared to maternal contributions (Keckeis et al, 2000;Marteinsdottir and Begg, 2002). Paternal contributions to progeny are solely the product of nuclear-genetic material from the spermatozoon (Rideout et al, 2004).…”

Temporal variability of fish larvae assemblages: influence of natural and anthropogenic disturbances

“…Some studies have shown that environmental variables are the main determinants of ichthyoplankton abundance, structure and composition variation (Keckeis et al, 2000;Reynalte-Tataje et al, 2012). However, the effect of dams on the ichthyoplankton community is rarely investigated (Humphries & Lake, 2000;Sanches et al, 2006).…”

Maternal and paternal influences on early life history traits and processes of Baltic cod Gadus morhua

“…Paternal factors are believed to have only limited influence, as maternal contributions via the egg are commonly cited as the chief determinants of embryonic and larval fitness (Blaxter & Hempel 1963, Buckley et al 1991, Keckeis et al 2000, Marteinsdottir & Begg 2002. This restricted perspective of male influence, however, has come under increasing scrutiny (Trippel 2003, Rideout et al 2004.…”