SURVIVAL, DEVELOPMENT and food energy partitioning of nase larvae and early juveniles at different tepmeratures

H. Keckeis, E.Kamler, E. Bauer-Nemeschkal, K. Schneeweiss-2001

Journal of Fish Biology, 59(1): 45-61

Abstract:

Survival was generally high, 94-100%, for newly hatched larvae of the nase Chondrostoma nasus held at 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25 and 28°C up to day 66 post-fertilization. The developmental rate decreased with age and increased with temperature. Specific growth rates increased with temperature; within one temperature range growth rate decreased with ontogenetic development. Food consumption and respiration increased with temperature and body size. A temperature increase from 25 to 28°C resulted in slightly reduced survival, minor acceleration of developmental growth and respiration rates, and impeded skeleton formation. Growth efficiency of consumed energy decreased throughout the larval period from 55 to 67% at the first larval stage (L₁) to 36-48% at the first juvenile stage (J₁). A similar trend for assimilation efficiency and its utilization for growth was observed. The constant temperatures required by larval nase ranged from a minimum 8-10°C to a maximum 25-28°C. A shift of optimum temperatures, 8-12, 13-16, 15-18, 19 and 22°C for nase spawning, embryonic development, yolk feeding larvae, early externally feeding larvae and, late larvae and juveniles, respectively, paralleled the spring rise in the river water temperature. Larval and juvenile nase show high survival, growth and energy conversion efficiencies compared with other fish species. On the other hand, low survival rates and growth can be attributed to external perturbations; thus, young nase may be considered a good indicator of the environmental and ecological integrity of river systems.

(University of Vienna, Institute of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Department of Limnology, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090, Vienna, Austria, Tel.: +43 1 4277 54341; fax: +43 1 4277 9542; e-mail: Hubert.Keckeis@univie.ac.at)

home