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Effect of saline water on early success of amphidromous fish

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Abstract

Organisms that migrate between rivers and the sea inevitably pass through estuarine habitats. Despite the potential importance of salinity and temperature fluctuations for metabolic adaptation, little is known about the impact of environmental changes in estuaries on the survival of residents. Ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) is a migratory fish that inhabits estuarine brackish water in its early life stages. The recent decline in the abundance of populations ascending into rivers is of concern for local biodiversity. The present study aims to elucidate the ecological processes that determine the early success of Ayu larvae under variable environmental conditions. The effects of salinity and water temperature on the endogenous growth of newly hatched larvae from the same brood were examined experimentally based on morphological and metabolic characteristics. High salinity and high water temperature together appeared to require more energy for larval osmoregulation, resulting in the acceleration of yolk depletion and reduced growth of the notochord. Increasing the osmoregulative cost during the yolk-sac stage resulted in the faster induction of a state of starvation. Seawater is considered to have an adverse effect on the survival of newly hatched larvae, as it lowers the efficiency of foraging and predator avoidance due to an energetic tradeoff. More attention should be paid to the significance of estuarine environments involving brackish waters to ensure the early survival of amphidromous fish such as Ayu.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan. We would like to address special thanks to Dr. Hiroyuki Sakano, Mrs. Yoko Kurashima and Mrs. Taeko Hazama for their help in collecting and measuring the Ayu larvae.

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Author notes

  1. Hirohiko Takeshima

    Present address: Atmospheric and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwano-ha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Komaki 1088, Ueda, Nagano, 386-0031, Japan

    Kei’ichiro Iguchi & Hirohiko Takeshima

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  1. Kei’ichiro Iguchi
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  2. Hirohiko Takeshima
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Correspondence to Kei’ichiro Iguchi.

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Iguchi, K., Takeshima, H. Effect of saline water on early success of amphidromous fish. Ichthyol Res 58, 33–37 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-010-0191-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-010-0191-1

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