Inter‐ and intrapopulation variation in temperature sum requirements at hatching in Norwegian Atlantic salmon

• Published in: Journal of Fish Biology
• Main Authors: Berg, O. K., Moen, V.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1999
• Subjects: Atlantic salmon
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1999.tb00642.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1095-8649.1999.tb00642.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1999.tb00642.x

The duration of the ontogenetic development of the eggs up to hatching time was studied under stable water temperatures for a total of 47 families (the offspring of a single pair of spawners) from eight wild populations and one domesticated stock of Norwegian Atlantic salmon. Eggs from each family were incubated at stable water temperatures of 7·3 and 9·4° C. The number of days required to 50% hatching differed significantly between populations for both experimental temperatures together and for each temperature separately. The interpopulation and intrapopulation variation each accounted for about 50% of the overall variation. Significant differences were found for the days required to 50% hatching between eggs of the domestic stock from The Norwegian Salmon Breeding Company and two natural populations and between some of the wild populations. It is concluded that the time required from fertilisation to hatching in Atlantic salmon is a population‐specific adaptive trait.