Parental effects in the European sardine Sardina pilchardus

Abstract

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 274:225-234 (2004) - doi:10.3354/meps274225 Parental effects in the European sardine Sardina pilchardus I. Riveiro*, C. Guisande, I. Maneiro, A. R. Vergara Universidad de Vigo, Campus Lagoas Marcosende, Vigo 36200, Spain *Email: [e-mail] ABSTRACT: Positive parental effects, defined as the strategies displayed by sardine Sardina pilchardus adults to increase the survival of eggs and larvae, were studied off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain) by monthly sampling of eggs and larvae in Ría de Vigo, over a period of 4 yr. Two different parental strategies were observed over the spawning period: temporal variations in spawning intensity, and variation of egg quality. Sardine spawn outside the upwelling season, to avoid offshore transport of eggs and larvae to where food is less abundant. There is a negative correlation between the duration of embryonic development and egg organic content. Sardine employ a parental strategy that adapts the biochemical composition of eggs to the evolution of the temperature in the area during the spawning season. Eggs of higher organic content are produced in the coldest months, thereby compensating for the delay in embryonic development time due to low temperatures. This also has the effect of enhancing larval survival. KEY WORDS: Parental strategies · Reproduction · Fish · Egg · Larva Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 274. Online publication date: June 24, 2004 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2004 Inter-Research.