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Thermohaline tolerance and embryonic development in capelin eggs (Mallotus villosus) from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean

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Abstract

Capelin (Mallotus villosus) displays alternative reproductive modes throughout its circumpolar distribution. This predicts divergent thermohaline tolerance of eggs because they are incubated in either a steady offshore or variable intertidal environment. We investigate herein thermohaline tolerance of eggs from the offshore spawning Barents Sea capelin. Subsequently, we compare our data with those previously published on other offshore and intertidal spawning capelin populations across the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, with the aim of determining possible patterns in the thermohaline tolerance of eggs from the alternative reproductive modes. In a 2 × 4 factorial design various combinations of salinities and temperatures had only negligible effect on the survival of eggs until first hatch. The embryonic development rate from fertilisation until first hatch across populations and between the two reproductive modes suggested non-local thermohaline tolerance towards the physical factors during development. Finally, no differences were observed in salinity tolerance from fertilisation to first hatch between populations representing different reproductive modes. The present findings demonstrate wide thermohaline tolerance of capelin eggs regardless of population origin and reproductive mode.

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Acknowledgements

We thank J. W. Behrens, N. Brundtland, L. L. Hansen, O. Nordgård, T. F. Sørensen and the crew onboard the R/V Jan Mayen for assistance in the field. I.-B. Falk-Petersen, the late H. Vilhjálmsson and four anonymous reviewers are thanked for many valuable comments on an earlier draft. The study is a contribution to the BASECOEX-Programme, grant no. 140290/140, partly funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, N-9037, Tromsø, Norway

    Kim Præbel, Jørgen S. Christiansen & Svein-Erik Fevolden

  2. Nofima Marin, P.O. Box 6122, N-9291, Tromsø, Norway

    Anne Kettunen-Præbel

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  1. Kim Præbel
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  2. Jørgen S. Christiansen
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Correspondence to Kim Præbel.

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Præbel, K., Christiansen, J.S., Kettunen-Præbel, A. et al. Thermohaline tolerance and embryonic development in capelin eggs (Mallotus villosus) from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. Environ Biol Fish 96, 753–761 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-012-0069-3

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