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Maternal allocation of lipid classes and fatty acids with seasonal egg production in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) of wild origin

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Abstract

A suite of characteristics is often used to assess egg quality as these properties potentially play important roles in progeny survival and growth. Our objective was to assess egg characteristics including lipid biocomposition of an iteroparous, batch-spawning teleost of wild origin. Maternal allocation to egg number was generally dome-shaped (5 of 8 females) and egg size declined over the breeding season for eight breeding pairs of wild Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) (n = 43 batches). Egg lipid composition ranged considerably among females and between egg batches within females (e.g., phospholipids 40–86 %; polar 47–87 % and neutral lipids 15–52 % of total lipids; polyunsaturated fatty acids 16–50 % of total fatty acids). Principal component analyses revealed significant inter-relationships among maternal traits, batch sequence and fecundity, and egg size and composition. Seasonal trends with regard to lipid deposition were variable; three females showed consistent declines in lipid parameters (μg egg−1) with both batch number and egg diameter, one female showed consistent increase and the four remaining females showed no trend. The three females that exhibited seasonal declines in egg lipid content were characterized as having high fertilization success (>75 %). Our findings highlight the variability in lipid allocation to eggs of batch spawners of wild origin and characterize the composition of endogenous reserves available during embryogenesis and yolk sac larval stages.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support for this study was provided by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada ACRDP Program (EAT) and an NSERC Discovery grant (IAF). Thanks to the staff at St. Andrews Biological Station, particularly by Steve Neil, John Reid, Ken Howes, and Marc Blanchard, your help was greatly appreciated. Extra special thanks to Pierre Pepin, Chris Parrish, and Rick Rideout for their valuable suggestions and input, Jeanette Wells and Marsha Clarke for technical support, guidance and assistance in the Parrish lab at the Ocean Sciences Centre and Danny Ings for statistical assistance. Comments made by anonymous referees toward improving the manuscript were greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ocean Sciences Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada

    Michelle M. Bachan & Ian A. Fleming

  2. St. Andrews Biological Station, 531 Brandy Cove Road, St. Andrews, NB, E5B 2L9, Canada

    Edward A. Trippel

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  1. Michelle M. Bachan
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  2. Ian A. Fleming
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Correspondence to Michelle M. Bachan.

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Communicated by M. A. Peck.

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Bachan, M.M., Fleming, I.A. & Trippel, E.A. Maternal allocation of lipid classes and fatty acids with seasonal egg production in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) of wild origin. Mar Biol 159, 2281–2297 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-012-2014-6

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