On the external and parental effects in early development of herring (Clupea pallasi) at the NE Kamchatka

Notable differences were found in the rate and duration of embryonic development of offspring of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) at 3, 7 and 12 °C. The embryonic development at a constant temperature of 7 °C provided the offspring of the Gulf of Korf herring with the longest (in degree-hours) period of survival on account of internal energy resources. The embryos developed at 7 °C were significantly longer at hatching than those of the same parents developed at 3 or 12 °C. In trials with temperature shocks (7 → 16 → 7 °C) the embryos were shorter and hatched at earlier stages of development than at a constant temperature of 7 °C. The percentage of abnormal and dead embryos in the progeny of probable first time spawners (4–5-year-old parent fish) was higher than in the offspring of 6–9-year-old fish.