Abstract
Changes in total volume and volume of the yolk and perivitelline space of Pacific herring eggs were examined throughout incubation at 5°C in relation to salinity of the incubation medium (5, 20, 35‰ S), and after exposure to cadmium (0.05–10 ppm Cd) at 20‰ S. After fertilization and filling of the perivitelline space there was a decline in total egg volume in all salinities until 60–80 hr after fertilization. There followed a period of relative stability of total volume (100–240 hr), then a slow decline until hatching (240–618 hr). There was an inverse relation, between egg volume and salinity at all stages of egg development. Eggs transferred from 20‰ to 5 or 35‰ S, 87.4 hr after fertilization (90% blastodermal overgrowth of the yolk), showed only minor changes in total egg volume within the period of relative stability (100–240 hr). Prior to 80 hr, changes in egg volume appeared primarily to be simpleadjustments to prevailing osmotic and ionic conditions, modified, however, by presumed irreversible changes induced in the egg in relation to salinity experience at, and shortly after, fertilization. Subsequently, between 80–100 hr, egg volume appears to becomeregulated, commencing in the interval between late blastodermal overgrowth and blastopore closure. Yolk volume declined after fertilization, reached a minimum 40–60 hr after fertilization, increased to 100 hr, then decreased in the period of relative stability of total volume — presumably in relation to rapid growth of the embryo. In the latter period, yolk volume appeared resistant to change when eggs are transferred from 20 ‰ to 5 or 35 ‰ S, 87.4 hr, after fertilization. Volume of the perivitelline space reached a maximum after fertilization, then decreased until about 100 hr; between 100 and 240 hr it increased rapidly and was influenced only in a minor way by salinity changes in the incubation medium 87.4 hr after fertilization. Eggs exposed to cadmium in the interval between 1/2 and 30 hr after fertilization showed major reductions in total egg volume; total volume in the period of relative stability (100–240 hr) was much reduced and normal volume was not recovered after removal of such eggs to uncontaminated water at 30 hr.
Zusammenfassung
Unter dem Einfluß verschiedener Salzgehalte und Cadmium-Konzentrationen wurden im Verlauf der Inkubationszeit die Volumenänderungen der Eier, des Dotters und des perivitellinen Raumes untersucht. Unmittelbar nach der Befruchtung beginnt die Bildung des perivitellinen Raumes, die bei 5 °C nach etwa 6 bis 11 h abgeschlossen ist. Dieser Vorgang erfolgt in hohen Salzgehalten schneller. Nach der anfänglichen Wasseraufnahme verringert sich das Eivolumen im Verlauf von 60 bis 80 h der Inkubations-zeit leicht, bleibt jedoch im Zeitraum zwischen 100 und 240 h nach der Befruchtung weitgehend stabil, um danach weiter geringfügig abzunehmen. Die Periode relativ stabiler Volumina fällt mit dem Einsetzen der Osmoregulation der Eier zusammen. Das Dottervolumen erreicht etwa 40–60 h nach der Befruchtung ein erstes Minimum, schwillt dann bis zu einem Embryoalter von etwa 100 h vorübergehend leicht an, um dann bis zum Schlupfzeitpunkt kontinuierlich abzunehmen. Der perivitelline Raum verändert nach der anfänglichen Wasseraufnahme sein Volumen ständig. Ein erstes Maximum wird nach 20–30 h Inkubationszeit erreicht. Das zweite Volumen-Maximum tritt nach etwa 350 h Entwicklungsdauer auf. Eine Überführung der Eier in verschiedene Salzgehalte im Embryoalter von etwa 87 h ergab keine nennenswerten volumensänderungen. Es wird daraus geschlossen, daß das Eivolumen während der Bildung des perivitellinen Raumes weitgehend festgelegt wird. Eine Exposition der Eier gegenüber Cd während der ersten 30 h der Inkubationszeit hatte in Abhängigkeit von der Konzentration eine erhebliche Volumenminderung zur Folge. Diese Reduktion der Eigröße war irreversibel.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Alderdice, D. F. & Velsen, F. P. J., 1971. Some effects of salinity and temperature on early development of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi). J. Fish. Res. Bd Can.28, 1545–1462.
—— 1978. Effects of short-term storage of gametes on fertilization of Pacific herring eggs. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters.31, 485–498.
Alderdice, D. F., Rao, T. R. & Rosenthal, H., 1979 a. Osmotic responses of eggs and larval of the Pacific herring to salinity and cadmium. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters.
—, Rosenthal, H. & Velsen F. P. J., 1979b. Influence of salinity and cadmium on capsule strength in Pacific herring eggs. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters.32, 149–162.
Burton, A. C., 1962. Physical principles of circulatory phenomena: the physical equilibria of the heart and blood vessels. In: Handbook of physiology. Section 2: Circulation. Ed. by W. F. Hamilton & P. Dow. Am. Physiol. Soc., Washington, D.C.,1, 85–106.
Dushkina, L. A., 1973. Influence of salinity on eggs, sperm and larvae of low-vertebral herring reproducing in the coastal waters of the Soviet Union. Mar. Biol.19, 210–223.
Eddy, F. B., 1974. Osmotic properties of the perivitelline fluid and some properties of the chorion of Atlantic salmon eggs (Salmo salar). J. Zool.174, 237–243.
Epel, D., 1977. The program of fertilization. Scient. Am.237, 128–138.
Ginzburg, A. S., 1972. Fertilization in fishes and the problem of polyspermy. Israel Program for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem, 366 pp.
Holliday, F. G. T., 1965. Osmoregulation in marine teleost eggs and larvae. Calif. Coop. oceanic Fish. Invest.10, 89–95.
—, 1969. The effcets of salinity on the eggs and larvae of teleost. In: Fish physiology. Ed. by W. S. Hoar & D. J. Randall. Acad. Press, New York1, 293–311.
— & Jones, M. P., 1965. Osmotic regulation in the embryo of the herring (Clupea harengus). J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K.45, 305–311.
Kändler, R., & Tan, E. O., 1965. Investigations of the osmoregulation in pelagic eggs of gadoid and flatfishes in the Baltic. I. Changes in volume and specific gravity at different salinities. C. M.-I. C. E. S,D 43.
Kao, C.-Y., 1956. Pressure-volume relationships of theFundulus egg in sea water and in Sucrose. J. gen. Physiol.40, 91–105.
— & Chambers, R., 1954. Internal hydrostatic pressure of theFundulus egg. I. The activated egg. J. exp. Biol.31, 139–149.
— & Chambers, E. L., 1954. Internal hydrostatic pressure of theFundulus egg. II. Permeability of the chorion. J. cell. comp. Physiol.44, 447–461.
Loeffler, C. A., 1971. Water exchange in the pike egg. J. exp. Biol.55, 797–811.
Lönning, S., 1972. Comparative electron microscopic studies of teleostean eggs with special reference to the chorion. Sarsia49, 41–48.
— & Solemdal, P., 1972. The relation between thickness of chorion and specific gravity of eggs from Norwegian and Baltic flatfish populations. FiskDir. Skr. (Ser. Havunders)16, 77–88.
May, R. C., 1974. Factors affecting buoyancy in the eggs ofBairdiella icistica (Pisces: Sciaenidae). Mar. Biol.28, 55–59.
Nakano, E., 1969. Fertilization. In: Comparative morphology, biochemistry, and immunology, Ed. by C. B. Metz & A. Monroy. Acad. Press, New York,2, 295–324.
Pommeranz, T., 1974. Resistance of plaice eggs to mechanical stress and light. In: The early life history of fish. Ed. by J. H. S. Blaxter. Springer, Berlin, 397–416.
Potts, W. T. W. & Eddy, F. B., 1973. The permeability to water of the eggs of certain marine teleosts. J. comp. Physiol.82, 305–315.
Prescott, D. M., 1955. Effect, of activation on the water permeability of salmon eggs. J. cell. comp. Physiol.45, 1–12.
Rosenthal, H. & Alderdice, D. F., 1976. Sublethal effects of environmental stressors, natural and pollutional, on marine fish eggs and larvae. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can.33, 2047–2065.
— & Sperling, K.-R., 1974. Effects of cadmium on development and survival of herring eggs. In: The early life history of fish. Ed. by J. H. S. Blaxter. Springer, Berlin, 383–396.
Rubtsov, V. V., 1973. The strength of the egg membranes and the volume of adhesive and nonadhesive eggs of wild carp and cultured carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) under different methods of incubation. J. Ichthyol.13, 400–405.
Solemdal, P., 1967. The effect of salinity on buoyancy, size and development of flounder eggs. Sarsia29, 431–442.
—, 1971. Prespawning flounders transferred to different salinities and the effects on their eggs. Vie Milieu (Suppl.)22, 409–423.
Westernhagen, H. von & Dethlefsen, V., 1975. Combined effects of cadmium and salinity on development and survival of flounder eggs. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K.55, 945–957.
——, Rosenthal, H., 1975. Combined effects of cadmium and salinity on development and survival of garpike eggs. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters.27, 268–282.
— Rosenthal, H., & Sperling, K.-R., 1974. Combined effects of cadmium and salinity on development and survival of herring eggs. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters.26, 416–433.
Zotin, A. I., 1958. The membrane hardening enzyme of salmon eggs. Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR121, 1105–1108.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Prepared under the auspices of the Canadian-German Scientific and Technical Cooperation Agreement (Contribution No. 7).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alderdice, D.F., Rosenthal, H. & Velsen, F.P.J. Influence of salinity and cadmium on the volume of Pacific herring eggs. Helgolander Wiss. Meeresunters 32, 163–178 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02189895
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02189895