Energy requirements and survival in embryo mottled sculpin (<i>Cottus bairdi</i>)

Abstract

Eggs of mottled sculpin, Cottus bairdi, from different parents varied in quantity and quality. Egg weight and number were positively correlated and increased with age and length of the maternal fish. Variation in egg quality included significant differences in water and energy content. Rate of development, metabolic rate, yolk conversion efficiency, and relative survival also varied among clutches. The variations in egg weight and initial water content were not significant to embryo survival. Clutch survival from fertilization to exogenous feeding was directly related to the initial energy concentration of the egg and inversely related to metabolic rate. Metabolic rate and survival were inversely and directly related, respectively, to the efficiency with which yolk was converted to tissue.