Life in the fast lane: Revisiting the fast growth—High survival paradigm during the early life stages of fishes

Early life survival is critical to successful replenishment of fish populations, and hypotheses developed under the Growth-Survival Paradigm (GSP) have guided investigations of controlling processes. The GSP postulates that recruitment depends on growth and mortality rates during early life stages, as well as their duration, after which the mortality declines substantially. The GSP predicts a shift in the frequency distribution of growth histories with age towards faster growth rates relative to the initial population because slow-growing individuals are subject to high mortality (via starvation and predation). However, mortality data compiled from 387 cases published in 153 studies (1971–2022) showed that the GSP was only supported in 56% of cases. Selection against slow growth occurred in two-thirds of field studies, leaving a non-negligible fraction of cases showing either an absence of or inverse growth-selective survival, suggesting the growth-survival relationship is more complex than currently considered within the GSP framework. Stochastic simulations allowed us to assess the influence of key intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the characteristics of surviving larvae and identify knowledge gaps on the drivers of variability in growth-selective survival. We suggest caution when interpreting patterns of growth selection because changes in variance and autocorrelation of individual growth rates among cohorts can invalidate fundamental GSP assumptions. We argue that breakthroughs in recruitment research require a comprehensive, population-specific characterization of the role of predation and intrinsic factors in driving variability in the distribution and autocorrelation of larval growth rates, and of the life stage corresponding to the endpoint of pre-recruited life. -- Keywords : critical period ; growth-mortality ; individual characteristics ; larval physiology ; predation ; recruitment endpoint

Interannual growth differences and growth-selective survival in larvae and juveniles of marbled sole Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae

Flatfishes drastically change their habitat, body form, and feeding during metamorphosis; thus, the early juvenile and larval stages are viewed as being critical for early survival. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have tested the growth-mortality hypothesis for both larval and juvenile stages of flatfishes. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between growth rate and environmental factors and tested the hypothesis for both larval and juvenile stages of marbled sole Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae in Hakodate Bay, Japan from 2001 to 2003. For both larval and juvenile stages, otolith growth correlated with water temperature. Eye-migrating larvae were defined as survivors of planktonic life (SV pelagic). Large juveniles captured in late June and July were defined as survivors of shrimp predation (SVjuvenile). To test the growth-mortality hypothesis, otolith growth was compared between the SV and the original population. During the pelagic larval stage, growth-selective survival was not detected in any of the 3 yr. During the early juvenile stage, fast-growing individuals survived selectively in 2002 but not in 2003. In 2002, population growth of juveniles was slow because water temperatures were low. Thus, juveniles in 2002 required time to exceed the size spectrum that is vulnerable to shrimp predation; consequently, the individuals that grew more rapidly were able to survive selectively. Our results show the importance of the early juvenile stage for the survival of flatfishes

Comparisons of diet and nutritional conditions in Pseudopleuronectes herzensteini juveniles between two nursery grounds off northern Hokkaido, Japan

To characterise food-habit differences in Pseudopleuronectes herzensteini juveniles we compared diets, prey diversity and nutritional states between two groups, i.e., one in the Sea of Japan and the other in the Sea of Okhotsk around northern Hokkaido, Japan. Juveniles were collected with a sledge net along the sea bottom at depths of 8-50 m in August 2010 and 2011. In the Sea of Japan, 63 were analysed (23 in 2010 and 40 in 2011). In the Sea of Okhotsk, 88 were analysed (55 in 2010 and 33 in 2011). There were no differences in standard lengths of juveniles (the Sea of Japan: 27.0 mm in 2010 in median; 28.8 mm in 2011; the Sea of Okhotsk: 28.3 mm in 2010; 29.2 mm in 2011) or in bottom water temperatures at the study sites. However, stomach content volume and Fulton's condition factor K were higher in the Sea of Okhotsk than in the Sea of Japan. High feeding intensities in the Sea of Okhotsk may have led to a higher nutritional status in fish collected from this sea. In both seas, the diet comprised mainly harpacticoid copepods, gammarids and polychaetes, with some additional bivalves being observed in the Sea of Japan. The value of the prey-diversity index (Delta*) was lower when the K value of juveniles was higher

Annual variation of potential predation impacts on larval and juvenile marbled sole Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae by sand shrimp Crangon uritai in Hakodate Bay, Hokkaido

An investigation was conducted to evaluate the annual variation in potential predation impact (PPI) on larval and juvenile Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae by Crangon uritai in Hakodate Bay using predator–prey size relationships. Laboratory experiments were designed to estimate the favorable prey size of C. uritai through back-calculation of body length (BL) of P. yokohamae from sagittal otolith diameter observed in the stomachs of C. uritai. The most favorable prey–predator size ratio (BL of P. yokohamae–total length (TL) of C. uritai) class was 0.15–0.19, and ranged from 0.12–0.31. There was a significant positive correlation between the BL increase of P. yokohamae and the bottom water temperature in the field, such that BLs stagnated during the cold year of 1999 from April to June, and increased during the warm year of 2002. In contrast, no significant correlation was found between the TL increase of C. uritai and the bottom water temperature. Moreover, there were no significant differences in the mean TL of C. uritai between months (April–June) or years (1998–2002). Variation of PPI depended on the relationships between the growth rates of P. yokohamae and bottom water temperature. Therefore, the warm year of 2002 resulted in higher potential predation impact (PPI ≥ 20), and it was at least 20 days shorter than that of the cold year of 1999. These results suggest that increased bottom water temperature in the nursery area was one of the most important factors for cumulative predation loss

Maternal effects and larval survival of marbled sole Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae

Maternal effects of animals are the phenotypic influences of age, size, and condition of spawners on the survival and phenotypic traits of offspring. To clarify the maternal effects for marbled sole Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae, we investigated the effects of body size, nutrient condition, and growth history of adult females on egg size, larval size, and starvation tolerance, growth, and feeding ability of offspring. The fecundity of adult females was strongly dependent on body size. Path analysis revealed that the mother's total length positively affected mean egg diameter, meaning that large females spawned large eggs. In contrast, the relative growth rate of adult females negatively affected egg diameter. Egg diameters positively affected both notochord length and yolk sac volume of the larvae at hatching. Under starvation conditions, notochord length at hatching strongly and positively affected days of survival at 14 °C but not at 9 °C. Under adequate food conditions (1000 rotifers L− 1), the notochord length of larvae 5 days after hatching positively affected feeding rate, implying that large larvae have high feeding ability. In addition, the mean growth rate of larvae between 0 and 15 days increased with increasing egg diameter under homogenous food conditions, suggesting that larvae hatched from large eggs might have a growth advantage for at least to 15 days after hatching. In marbled sole, these relationships (i.e., mother's body size-egg size-larval size-larval resistance to starvation-larval feeding ability) may help explain recruitment variability

アイナメ仔魚の耳石日周輪形成の確認と成長率

We validated the daily formation 0f otolith increments of reared fat greenling Hexagrammos otakii larvae and examined the growth patterns of wild lavae. The mean notochord Length and otolith radius of newly hatched larvae were 8.31 mm and 273μm, respectively. Newly hatched larvae had some increments on their lapilli and a check was formed at hatching (hatch check). The relattonship between age and the number of increments formed outside the hatch chcck (NI)was linear regression (Nl=0.99Age-0.30, n=49, r^2=0.98, P<0.001) and its sloped did not differ significantly from 1 (t-test: P=0.31). The indicates that these increments formed daily Wild fat greenling larvae were collected from the surface layer of Mutsu Bay from February to April in 2003. The relationship between the the otolith radius (OR in μm) and notochord length (NL in mm) was represented by an allometric equation The mean back-calculated NL with the biological intercept method was 9.79mm at 10 days old, 10.9mm at 20 days old. 11.6mm at 30 days old, and 133 mm at 40 days old The daily growth rate was relatively high immediately after hatching (range: 0.15-0.17mm/day) and gradually decreased. These finding suggest that fat greenling larvae do not have a slow growth period just after hatching.アイナメ飼育仔魚の耳石日輪形成形成の確認と, 天然仔魚の成長様式を検討した｡ 礫石上には孵化時に明瞭な輪紋(孵化チェック)が形成された｡ 日齢(Age)と孵化チェックの外側の輪紋数(Nl)の関係は直線で示され(NI=0.99Age-0.30, n=49, r^2=0.98, P<0.001), 傾きは1とは有意に異ならなかったことから(t検定: P=0.31), これらの輪紋は日周輪と判断された｡ 陸奥湾では2003年2月から4月まで天然仔魚が表層で採集された｡ 耳石半径と脊索長の関係はアロメトリー式で表され, バイオロジカル・インターセプト法による平均逆算体長は10日齢で9.79mm, 40日齢で13.3mm と推定された｡ 成長率は孵化直後に比較的高く(範囲: 0.15-0.17mm/日), その後次第に低下したことから, アイナメでは孵化直後の低成長期はみられないものと考えられた

Spatial distribution and feeding habits of the shrimp Crangon uritai as a predator on larval and juvenile marbled sole Pleuronectes yokohamae

To examine predation on larval and juvenile Pleuronectes yokohamae by Crangon uritai, the spatial distribution and feeding habits of C. uritai were studied. Crangon uritai fed on various prey, including P. yokohamae. Density-dependent predation on juvenile Crangon spp., larval and juvenile gobiid fish Chaenogobius heptacanthus, mysids, and gammarids was observed. The abundance of alternative prey might, therefore, play an important role in reducing the pressure of predation on P. yokohamae. In each year, C. uritai migrated from depths of 10 m in March to depths of 3 m in May. There was a significant negative correlation between the weighted mean depth (WMD) of C. uritai and the weighted mean bottom water temperature (WMBWT). The migration was, therefore, delayed in the cold spring, during which C. uritai occupied depths of approximately 10 m. In contrast, no significant correlation was found between the WMD of P. yokohamae and WMBWT. Settlement of P. yokohamae began at depths of 15 m, mainly during early April. The spatial distributions of these two organisms show greater overlap during the cold spring, resulting in increased opportunities for predation

Otolith microstructure of Arabesque greenling Pleurogrammus azonus : A species with a long embryonic period

We investigated the relationship between morphological development in the embryonic stage and the formation of otolith microstructure in Arabesque greenling Pleurogrammus azonus, and then validated that the otolith increments were formed on a daily basis. Increments were more consistent to count and measure in sagittal otoliths from wild caught larvae compared to lapillar otoliths, and we suggest that sagittal otoliths as suitable for otolith microstructure analysis. This study clarified the formation time of three prominent increments on the sagittal otolith. First prominent increment (approx. 17 mm in otolith radius (OR)) was coincident with the time of eye-pigmentation in the embryonic stage. Second (approx. 36 μm OR) was considered to be the hatch increment and the third (approx. 38 μm OR) was at the time of transition from endogenous to exogenous nutrition. The third prominent increment which was the clearest radius (termed below as the check) was used as the starting point for validating the daily increment formation in sagittal otolith, and also there was no significant difference in the check radius among reared (6, 8, and 10 °C) and wild caught larvae. The relationship between number of days after hatching and the number of increments formed after check was significant and the slope of the regression line was not different from 1, validating the assumption that growth increments are formed on a daily basis in sagittae of P. azonus. The check was formed on the otolith at the transition from endogenous to exogenous nutrition, and the number of days required prior to its formation varied with water temperature. For the species in which the check is formed at the nutritional transition from endogenous to exogenous feeding, the relationship between number of days to check formation and water temperature is essential to estimate the hatch date of wild caught individuals