Journal Article
Fecundity and egg weight in English sole, Pleuronectes vetulus, from Puget Sound, Washington: Influence of nutritional status and chemical contaminants
Johnson, LL; Sol, SY; Lomax, DP; Nelson, GM; Sloan, CA; Casillas, E
Fishery Bulletin
ISSN: 0090-0656
DART/TER/97001403
Differences in fecundity and egg weight were evaluated in English sole, Pleuronectes vetulus, from four sites in Puget Sound (the Duwamish Waterway, Eagle Harbor, Sinclair Inlet, and Port Susan) with differing concentrations and types of sediment contamination. Duwamish Waterway sediment has high concentrations of both polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's), Eagle Harbor sediment has high concentrations of PAH's, and Sinclair Inlet sediment has low concentrations of PAH's and moderate concentrations of PCB's, whereas sediments at Port Susan, the reference site, are minimally contaminated. Fish from the Duwamish Waterway and Eagle Harbor had significantly higher levels of fluorescent aromatic compounds (FAC's) in bile than sole from Port Susan and Sinclair Inlet, and fish from the Duwamish Waterway had significantly higher concentrations of PCB's in ovary and liver tissue than fish from the other sampling sites. Fecundity and egg weight were compared in fish of equivalent size, age, and reproductive maturity from the four sites; fish from the Duwamish Waterway showed significantly higher relative fecundity and lower egg weight than fish collected from the three other sites. Production of more and smaller eggs in fish from the Duwamish Waterway site was associated with elevated hepatosomatic indices, elevated plasma triglyceride levels, and elevated levels of PCB's in liver and ovarian tissue, and reduced plasma vitellogenin levels (as estimated from alkali-labile protein (ALP) concentrations). Fish from the Duwamish Waterway and Sinclair Inlet also had higher age-specific fecundity than animals from other sites because of their larger size at age. On an individual fish basis, elevated tissue PCB concentrations were significantly correlated with low plasma ALP, reduced egg weight, and increased egg number, whereas elevated biliary FAC's were associated with increased ovarian atresia, increased egg weight, and reduced egg number. The results of this study suggest that English sole exposed to chemical contaminants may experience alterations in egg development; however, nutritional or other environmental factors may also contribute to the observed intersite differences in egg weight and fecundity.
Marine & Freshwater Biology; sucker catostomus-commersoni, parophrys-vetulus, reproductive success,; winter flounder, pseudopleuronectes-americanus, ovarian development,; aromatic-compounds, genetic-structure, fish, female