13 research outputs found
The return of marked roach (Rutilus rutilus L.) to spawning grounds in Tjeukemeer, The Netherlands
Phenotypic plasticity in growth and fecundity induced by strong population fluctuations affects reproductive traits of female fish
Fish are known for their high phenotypic plasticity in life-history traits in relation
to environmental variability, and this is particularly pronounced among
salmonids in the Northern Hemisphere. Resource limitation leads to trade-offs
in phenotypic plasticity between life-history traits related to the reproduction,
growth, and survival of individual fish, which have consequences for the age
and size distributions of populations, as well as their dynamics and productivity.
We studied the effect of plasticity in growth and fecundity of vendace
females on their reproductive traits using a series of long-term incubation
experiments. The wild parental fish originated from four separate populations
with markedly different densities, and hence naturally induced differences in
their growth and fecundity. The energy allocation to somatic tissues and eggs
prior to spawning served as a proxy for total resource availability to individual
females, and its effects on offspring survival and growth were analyzed. Vendace
females allocated a rather constant proportion of available energy to eggs (per
body mass) despite different growth patterns depending on the total resources
in the different lakes; investment into eggs thus dictated the share remaining
for growth. The energy allocation to eggs per mass was higher in young than in
old spawners and the egg size and the relative fecundity differed between them:
Young females produced more and smaller eggs and larvae than old spawners.
In contrast to earlier observations of salmonids, a shortage of maternal food
resources did not increase offspring size and survival. Vendace females in sparse
populations with ample resources and high growth produced larger eggs and
larvae. Vendace accommodate strong population fluctuations by their high plasticity
in growth and fecundity, which affect their offspring size and consequently
their recruitment and productivity, and account for their persistence
and resilience in the face of high fishing mortality.peerReviewe
Some observations of spawning by roach, Rutilus rutilus L., and bream, Abramis brama L., and their implications for management
Phenotypic plasticity in growth and fecundity induced by strong population fluctuations affects reproductive traits of female fish
A survey of the spawning of perch (Perca fluviatilis), pike (Esox lucius), and roach (Rutilus rutilus), using artificial spawning substrates in lakes
Dispersion of vendace eggs and larvae around potential nursery areas reveals their reproductive strategy
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Dispersion of vendace eggs and larvae around potential nursery areas reveals their reproductive strategy
A possible evolutionary lag in the relationship between freshwater mussels and European bitterling
The coevolutionary dynamics between European bitterling Rhodeus amarus and freshwater unionid mussels, which the former parasitize by laying eggs on their gills, were tested. In a series of experiments fish preferences and mussel responses were compared in parasites and hosts of recent (Europe) and ancient (Asia) sympatry. Rhodeus amarus readily oviposited on the gills of all mussel species tested. Fish that laid their eggs on the gills of Asian Anodonta woodiana, however, suffered a dramatic reduction in reproductive success compared to fish that oviposited on the gills of European mussels: Unio pictorum, Unio tumidus, Anodonta anatina and Anodonta cygnea. This difference was the result of egg ejection behaviour by mussels rather than the unsuitability of the internal gill environment for European bitterling embryo development. The ejection response of mussels with a long sympatry with European bitterling was considerably more pronounced than that of mussels with a substantially shorter sympatry. The data support a coevolutionary arms race between bitterling and mussels and point to an evolutionary lag in the relationship between R. amarus and its European mussel hosts. (c) 2007 The Authors. Journal compilation (c) 2007 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles