Relationship between female body size and egg and larval sizes in Pacific herring Clupea pallasii

Abstract

Size variations in eggs and larvae and their relationship with female body size in Pacific herring Clupea pallasii were examined. Spawning adults were captured in Ishikari Bay, Lake Furen, Lake Akkeshi and Miyako Bay in 2013 and 2014. Compositions of body size and age of adults were diŠerent among spawning areas. Fish older than age 3 (larger than 25 cm in body length) dominated in Ishikari Bay and Miyako Bay, while age 2 fish (20-23 cm in body length) dominated in Lake Furen and Lake Akkeshi. Artificially fertilized eggs and hatched larvae were obtained from adults caught from those four areas. Positive relationships were found between fork length of parental females and egg diameter, dry weight, larval notochord length, dry body weight, and yolk sac volume. These results suggest that larger females produce larger eggs and larvae.