Offspring investment in wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): relationships with smolt age and spawning condition. Issue 2 (26th November 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Burton, Tim; McKelvey, Simon; Stewart, Dave C.; Armstrong, John D.; Metcalfe, Neil B.
• Is Part Of: Ecology of freshwater fish. Volume 22:Issue 2(2013:Apr.)
• Page Start: 317
• Page End: 321
• Publication Date: 2012-11-26
• Subjects: Freshwater fishes -- Periodicals; Freshwater fishes -- Ecology -- Periodicals; Fisheries -- Periodicals; 597.092
• DOI: 10.1111/eff.12019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0906-6691

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="eff12019-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>We investigated the independent effects of age at smolting and body condition at the time of spawning on egg production by female Atlantic salmon (<italic>Salmo salar</italic>). For a given body size, female salmon that had smolted as juveniles after 2 years in fresh water produced smaller, more numerous eggs than females that smolted 1 year later. Furthermore, fecundity (but not egg size) was related positively to maternal body condition at spawning. Given that age at smolting is closely related to juvenile growth rate; results from this study suggest that conditions experienced by female Atlantic salmon during both early life and adulthood have implications for the size and number of eggs that they produce.</p> </abstract>