Influence of Interannual Variations in Winter Sea Temperature on Fecundity and Egg Size in Pacific Herring (Clupea harengus pallasi)

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (8) ◽  
pp. 1485-1495 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Tanasichuk ◽  
D. M. Ware
Keyword(s):  
Egg Size ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Larval Growth ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Sea Temperature ◽  
Ovary Weight ◽  
Clupea Harengus Pallasi ◽  
Different Seasons

Data for 2937 fish, collected from seven locations over five years, were analysed to evaluate the effects of sea temperature and stock biomass on size-specific ovary weight and fecundity at spawning. Ovary weight did not vary significantly between years or locations. Size-specific fecundity was higher in 1983, when coastal waters were abnormally warm because of a strong El Niño – Southern Oscillation event. The effect of location was equivocal: one stock that overwintered in warm water tended to have a higher fecundity. Mean sea temperature between 60 and 90 d before spawning (in spring) best accounted for variations in size-specific fecundity. Temperature may influence fecundity by regulating gonadotropin concentration and consequently pre-ovulatory atresia. We hypothesize that the trade-off between fecundity and egg size is adaptive. A theoretical analysis of the early life history of Pacific herring suggests that, to maximize survival to metamorphosis, egg size should decrease and fecundity increase with temperature when the larval growth rate Q10 is less than the mortality rate Q10. Our model seems to explain the differences in egg size between recruit and repeat spawners, and between stocks of Atlantic herring that spawn in different seasons.

Reproductive Biology of Pacific Herring (Clupea harengus pallasi)

1985 ◽  
Vol 42 (S1) ◽  
pp. s111-s126 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. Hay
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Experimental Work ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Geographic Scale ◽  
Clupea Harengus Pallasi ◽  
Egg Number ◽  
Spawning Time

Most British Columbia herring begin sexual maturation in the late summer and become sexually mature in the subsequent March or April. As they mature, most stocks migrate from summer feeding grounds to overwintering areas and then to shallow nearshore spawning areas. Also, newly recruited, sexually maturing fish join the adult spawning stocks, either on the summer or winter grounds. These events occur in an unpredictable environment. Consequently, reproduction in Pacific herring (Clupea harengus pallasi) may be viewed as a biological problem of maintaining synchrony and precision: specifically the synchronous maturation of (1) males and females and (2) the recruit spawners with the adult fish that have spawned in previous years. Biological precision is required to ensure that gametes are released at the correct place at the correct time. Further precision is required to achieve an appropriate balance between egg number and egg size, and then to control the density of eggs deposited on the bottom. The annual temperature regime is a vital regulator of these processes. Generally, the warmer the temperature, or lower the latitude, the earlier the maturation and spawning time. There are some notable exceptions that indicate local adaptation to other environmental cues. Also, experimental work indicates that food supply can affect the maturation rate. Intensities of egg depositions are generally similar among Pacific North American stocks, and indeed for many documented herring spawnings from Asian and European stocks. It has been shown that eggs in the middle of very thick spawns have lower survival so there is a selective advantage for biological mechanisms that ensure more even and lighter egg densities. This paper suggests that egg density in Pacific herring is controlled by a biological feedback mechanism involving milt concentration and hydrographic factors. Earlier spawners tend to be larger and there is a positive relationship between female size and egg size, a tendency consistent with other herring stocks and species. Size-adjusted fecundity, when compared among different regions and years, is strikingly uniform within British Columbia. On a broad geographic scale (California to Alaska), size-specific fecundity declines with latitude. Recent experimental work reveals that total egg number is higher at early stages of maturation and decreases as spawning time approaches. Presumably, this decrease reflects selective resorption of some developing oocytes, and probably occurs in response to available body energy. The duration and geographical variation in spawning time is relevant to questions concerning the evolutionary and taxonomic relationships between Pacific herring and Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus harengus). Other aspects of reproductive biology have important management implications, particularly for (1) predicting recruitment, (2) deriving stock estimates from spawn surveys, and (3) managing fisheries.

Biological Basis of Maturation and Spawning Waves in Pacific Herring (Clupea harengus pallasi)

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1776-1784 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Ware ◽  
R. W. Tanasichuk
Keyword(s):  
Interannual Variation ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Sea Temperature ◽  
Instantaneous Rate ◽  
Strait Of Georgia ◽  
Clupea Harengus Pallasi ◽  
Maturation Rate ◽  
Spawning Time ◽  
Timing Of Spawning

Maturation rates (measured as the change in the gonosomatic index (GSI) with time) over the last month of the annual maturation cycle were estimated for male and female herring in British Columbia, between 1982–87. The data were analyzed to determine interannual and interregional differences in the maturation rate and its influence on spawning time. The data also indicated that in some areas herring spawned in discrete waves — the largest fish tended to spawn first and the smaller fish in subsequent waves. Each spawning wave lasted about 5–6 d and the interwave interval varied from 8–26 d in the Strait of Georgia. General equations were developed to describe gonadal growth over the entire maturation cycle. These equations accounted for the observed differences in: (1) the maturation rates between the sexes (males initially mature faster), (2) the interregional and interannual variation in the timing of spawning (herring tend to spawn later at higher latitudes, and earlier than normal when its warmer), and (3) provide an explanation for spawning waves. All of these phenomena derive from the fact that the instantaneous rate at which the gonad grows during the maturation cycle in both sexes depends on the weight of the fish, and the daily sea temperature.

Maturation and Fecundity of Pacific Herring (Clupea harengus pallasi): An Experimental Study with Comparisons to Natural Populations

1988 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. Hay ◽  
J. R. Brett
Keyword(s):  
Egg Size ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Somatic Tissue ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Clupea Harengus Pallasi ◽  
Fish Reduction ◽  
Egg Number ◽  
Feeding Regimes ◽  
Experimental Treatments

Approximately 3 mo before spawning, Pacific herring (Clupea harengus pallasi) were captured and transferred to experimental netpens varying in fish density, cover, and feeding regimes. Fecundity decreased as the fish ripened. Concurrently, ovary weight and egg weight increased and somatic weight decreased. Length-specific fecundities of fed and unfed fish were similar, but the unfed fish had higher weight-specific fecundities, corresponding to a greater loss of somatic tissue during impoundment. Feeding accelerated the rate of maturity, and fed fish spawned earlier with heavier eggs than unfed fish. Relative fecundity (eggs per gram) was highest among the unfed fish. Reduction in preovulatory egg number probably was a consequence of follicular atresia (observed but not quantified here). Age-, length-, and weight-specific fecundity of impounded herring varied within the range observed for naturally maturing populations (1974 and 1980). Fecundity in impounded fish varied no more than observed in nature: there was a greater difference in age-, length-, and weight-specific fecundity between years than there was between experimental treatments. We suggest that reduction in the number of maturing oocytes occurs naturally and reflects a mechanism that allows herring to adjust their egg size and egg number according to energetic resources and environmental conditions.

scholarly journals Adult body growth and reproductive investment vary markedly within and across Atlantic and Pacific herring: a meta-analysis and review of 26 stocks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thassya C. dos Santos Schmidt ◽  
Doug E. Hay ◽  
Svein Sundby ◽  
Jennifer A. Devine ◽  
Guðmundur J. Óskarsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Egg Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Body Growth ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Atlantic Herring ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Investment In Reproduction

AbstractLife-history traits of Pacific (Clupea pallasii) and Atlantic (Clupea harengus) herring, comprising both local and oceanic stocks subdivided into summer-autumn and spring spawners, were extensively reviewed. The main parameters investigated were body growth, condition, and reproductive investment. Body size of Pacific herring increased with increasing latitude. This pattern was inconsistent for Atlantic herring. Pacific and local Norwegian herring showed comparable body conditions, whereas oceanic Atlantic herring generally appeared stouter. Among Atlantic herring, summer and autumn spawners produced many small eggs compared to spring spawners, which had fewer but larger eggs—findings agreeing with statements given several decades ago. The 26 herring stocks we analysed, when combined across distant waters, showed clear evidence of a trade-off between fecundity and egg size. The size-specific individual variation, often ignored, was substantial. Additional information on biometrics clarified that oceanic stocks were generally larger and had longer life spans than local herring stocks, probably related to their longer feeding migrations. Body condition was only weakly, positively related to assumingly in situ annual temperatures (0–30 m depth). Contrarily, body growth (cm × y−1), taken as an integrator of ambient environmental conditions, closely reflected the extent of investment in reproduction. Overall, Pacific and local Norwegian herring tended to cluster based on morphometric and reproductive features, whereas oceanic Atlantic herring clustered separately. Our work underlines that herring stocks are uniquely adapted to their habitats in terms of trade-offs between fecundity and egg size whereas reproductive investment mimics the productivity of the water in question.

Fixation Shrinkage of Herring Larvae: Effects of Salinity, Formalin Concentration, and Other Factors

1982 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 1138-1143 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. Hay
Keyword(s):  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Larval Size ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Clupea Harengus Pallasi

The most important factors affecting the degree of larval shrinkage of Pacific herring (Clupea harengus pallasi) larvae during fixation are the salinity and formalin concentrations and initial larval size. In low formalin concentrations (2–5% formalin) shrinkage increased from less than 2% shrinkage at low salinities to about 10% shrinkage in seawater formalin. In high formalin concentrations (20–30% formalin) shrinkage was fairly uniform, ranging from about 3% shrinkage in low salinities to about 5% in seawater. Shrinkage in fixatives stored at 0, 5, 10, 20, and 30 °C was slightly higher (1–2%) at the higher temperatures. Buffering agents and starvation had no effect on shrinkage. Small, young larvae shrank relatively more than larger older larvae.Key words: herring larvae, fixation, shrinkage, formalin, salinity

Reproductive Steroids during Maturation in a Primitive Teleost, the Pacific Herring (Clupea harengus pallasi)

1996 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Carolsfeld ◽  
A.P. Scott ◽  
P.M. Collins ◽  
N.M. Sherwood
Keyword(s):  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Clupea Harengus Pallasi ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Reproductive Steroids

Chill Stowage and Development of Rancidity in Frozen Pacific Herring, Clupea harengus pallasi

1978 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Bilinski ◽  
R. E. E. Jonas ◽  
Y. C. Lau
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Peroxide Value ◽  
Frozen Storage ◽  
Thiobarbituric Acid ◽  
Acid Number ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Clupea Harengus Pallasi ◽  
Low Levels

Freshly caught Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, were stowed in ice or refrigerated seawater (RSW) at −0.8 °C for 0, 2, and 4 d and were then filleted and stored frozen (−28 °C) for up to 11 mo. The development of rancidity was determined using the peroxide value and the thiobarbituric acid number. During the chill stowage before freezing, the lipids from the flesh were not subjected to any significant oxidation. In Cryovac-vacuum-packed fillets the rancidity remained at low levels during the duration of frozen storage. If oxygen was present during frozen storage, chill stowage accelerated the development of rancidity and this effect was more pronounced in the case of RSW than ice, especially after 4 d of stowage. Key words: Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, rancidity, icing, refrigerated seawater, frozen storage

Comparison of fatty acid profiles of spawning and non-spawning Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasi

2007 ◽  
Vol 146 (4) ◽  
pp. 504-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minh Dieu Huynh ◽  
David D. Kitts ◽  
Chun Hu ◽  
Andrew W. Trites
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Fatty Acid Profiles ◽  
Clupea Harengus Pallasi

Alternative Harvest Strategies for Pacific Herring (Clupea harengus pallasi)

1988 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 888-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Hall ◽  
R. Hilborn ◽  
M. Stocker ◽  
C. J. Walters
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Harvest Rate ◽  
Strait Of Georgia ◽  
Clupea Harengus Pallasi ◽  
Current Management Strategy ◽  
Stock Recruitment ◽  
Spawning Biomass ◽  
Constant Escapement

A simulated Pacific herring (Clupea harengus pallasi) population is used to evaluate alternative management strategies of constant escapement versus constant harvest rate for a roe herring fishery. The biological parameters of the model are derived from data on the Strait of Georgia herring stock. The management strategies are evaluated using three criteria: average catch, catch variance, and risk. The constant escapement strategy provides highest average catches, but at the expense of increased catch variance. The harvest rate strategy is favored for its reduced variance in catch and only a slight decrease in mean catch relative to the fixed escapement strategy. The analysis is extended to include the effects of persistent recruitment patterns. Stock–recruitment analysis suggests that recruitment deviations are autocorrelated. Correlated deviations may cause bias in regression estimates of stock–recruitment parameters (overestimation of stock productivity) and increase in variation of spawning stock biomass. The latter effect favors the constant escapement strategy, which fully uses persistent positive recruitment fluctuations. Mean catch is depressed for the harvest rate strategy, since the spawning biomass is less often located in the productive region of the stock–recruitment relationship. The model is used to evaluate the current management strategy for Strait of Georgia herring. The strategy of maintaining a minimum spawning biomass reserve combines the safety of the constant escapement strategy and the catch variance reducing features of the harvest rate strategy.

Environmental Variation and Recruitment of Pacific Herring (Clupea harengus pallasi) in the Strait of Georgia

1985 ◽  
Vol 42 (S1) ◽  
pp. s174-s180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Stocker ◽  
Vivian Haist ◽  
David Fournier
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variables ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Strait Of Georgia ◽  
Clupea Harengus Pallasi ◽  
Age Structured ◽  
Age Structured Model ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Spawning Success

We used an age-structured model to estimate recruitment for the Strait of Georgia Pacific herring (Clupea harengus pallasi) population. The model used for herring is a version of the model described in Fournier and Archibald (1982. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 39: 1195–1207), modified to include spawn survey information. Three structural assumptions are made to include the spawn data: (1) the form of the relationship between the actual spawn and the observed spawn, (2) the form of the relationship between escapement and actual spawn, and (3) the existence of a Ricker spawn–recruitment relationship, with a multiplicative environmental component. In order to determine which environmental factors had a significant effect on recruitment, we attempted to explain the residual variation from the Ricker curve with the environmental variables using exploratory correlations. Temperature, river discharge, sea level, and sunlight were examined. A multiplicative, environmental-dependent Ricker spawn–recruitment model was used to identify significant environmental variables. The model suggests a significant dome-shaped relationship between temperature and spawning success with an optimal temperature during larval stages resulting in maximum production of recruits. Also, increased spawning success is associated with increased summer river discharge. The significant environmental variables were included in the age-structured model in a stock–environment–recruitment relationship, and all model parameters were reestimated. The overall model fit improved only marginally with the inclusion of environmental variables, as indicated by the objective function value. However, the S–R component of the objective function dropped by 23% when environmental variables were included.

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