Hypoxic Threshold for Yellow Perch Embryonic Development

What is it about?

Hypoxic events, or low dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions, are common natural phenomenon all over the marine and freshwater environments. Hypoxia has been shown to affect the wide array of physiological processes in fish, including growth, reproduction and the embryonic development. However, hypoxic events in the Great Lakes and how this affects the embryonic development of Yellow Perch have been rarely documented in literature. We conducted serial of experiments in the laboratory under three different concentrations of dissolved oxygen - hypoxia, 3-4 mg DO/I (H); moderate-hypoxia, 5 mg DO/I (MH) and normoxia, 7-8 mg DO/I (N) in replicates of four at 16.8±0.4° C. Overall. the results indicated that hypoxic conditions below 3.5 mg DO/I (39% saturation at 16° C) have a profound negative impact on the embryonic development and survival of Yellow Perch embryos, while Yellow Perch larvae are capable of surviving this low-DO environment.

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Photo by Nathan Fertig on Unsplash

Photo by Nathan Fertig on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The increased frequency of hypoxia may have striking consequences for global fish production, thereby affecting the life and livelihoods of millions of people around the world. The effects of hypoxia on embryonic development and the performance and survival of juveniles and adults have been assessed in various species, but the effects on Yellow Perch embryogenesis have not yet been assessed, despite the commercial and ecological importance of this species. The knowledge from the present study will help to manage this species in its native range.

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