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Vertical position, specific gravity and swimming ability of Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus yolk-sac larvae reared at four temperatures

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Abstract

Vertical position and movement rate were measured in the yolk-sac larvae of the Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus at different rearing temperatures (3, 5, 7, and 9 °C) and an identical temperature of 5 °C in experimental columns during the initial 3 days post-hatch (dph). Larval specific gravity was also measured through sinking velocities. Yolk-sac larvae swam upward and initially (0 dph) remained in the upper section of the experimental column through intermittent upward swimming, and gradually moved to near-neutral buoyancy at 3 dph at corresponding rearing temperatures. Rearing temperature significantly affected the swimming ability: at 0 dph, vertical movement rates measured at 5 °C were low in the yolk-sac larvae reared at warm temperatures. However, no such difference was observed at 3 dph. The difference in vertical movement rate may have resulted from the temperature-mediated body sizes (standard length) and yolk-sac sizes (yolk-sac volume) at hatching. Specific gravity did not change for the varying temperatures during the initial 3 days, but decreased as ontogeny progressed. Therefore, we suggest that Pacific cod yolk-sac larvae achieve a demersal-pelagic habitat transition through upward swimming and increasing buoyancy.

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Acknowledgments

We thank to the Wakinosawa Fishery Association for offering great quality Pacific cod eggs. Thanks are also extended to two anonymous reviewers for detailed revision and helpful comments on this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, 3-1-1 Minato, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 041-8611, Japan

    Zhe Li & Yasunori Sakurai

  2. Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, 3-1-1 Minato, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 041-8611, Japan

    Jun Yamamoto

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  1. Zhe Li
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Correspondence to Yasunori Sakurai.

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Li, Z., Yamamoto, J. & Sakurai, Y. Vertical position, specific gravity and swimming ability of Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus yolk-sac larvae reared at four temperatures. Fish Sci 81, 883–889 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-015-0911-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-015-0911-6

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