Abstract
Larval fish growth and survival depends not only on prey quantity, but also on prey quality. To investigate effects of prey fatty acid concentration on larval herring growth, we collected different prey organisms and larval herring (Clupea harengus L.) in the Kiel Canal during the spring season of 2009. Along with biotic background data, we analysed fatty acids both in prey organisms and in the larvae and used biochemically derived growth rates of the larvae as the response variable. Larval herring reached their highest RNA/DNA derived growth rates only at high docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentration. When the ratio of copepodids to lesser quality cirriped nauplii was low, larval growth and larval DHA concentration were both significantly negatively affected. This was true even as prey abundance was increasing. This finding indicates that even in mixed, natural feeding conditions, growth variations are associated with DHA availability in larval fish.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 239-244 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Marine Biology |
| Volume | 161 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2014 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aquatic Science
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Ecology
Cite this
Essential fatty acid (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) availability affects growth of larval herring in the field. / Paulsen, Matthias; Clemmesen, Catriona; Malzahn, Arne M.
In: Marine Biology, Vol. 161, No. 1, 01.2014, p. 239-244.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Essential fatty acid (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) availability affects growth of larval herring in the field
AU - Paulsen, Matthias
AU - Clemmesen, Catriona
AU - Malzahn, Arne M.
PY - 2014/1
Y1 - 2014/1
N2 - Larval fish growth and survival depends not only on prey quantity, but also on prey quality. To investigate effects of prey fatty acid concentration on larval herring growth, we collected different prey organisms and larval herring (Clupea harengus L.) in the Kiel Canal during the spring season of 2009. Along with biotic background data, we analysed fatty acids both in prey organisms and in the larvae and used biochemically derived growth rates of the larvae as the response variable. Larval herring reached their highest RNA/DNA derived growth rates only at high docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentration. When the ratio of copepodids to lesser quality cirriped nauplii was low, larval growth and larval DHA concentration were both significantly negatively affected. This was true even as prey abundance was increasing. This finding indicates that even in mixed, natural feeding conditions, growth variations are associated with DHA availability in larval fish.
AB - Larval fish growth and survival depends not only on prey quantity, but also on prey quality. To investigate effects of prey fatty acid concentration on larval herring growth, we collected different prey organisms and larval herring (Clupea harengus L.) in the Kiel Canal during the spring season of 2009. Along with biotic background data, we analysed fatty acids both in prey organisms and in the larvae and used biochemically derived growth rates of the larvae as the response variable. Larval herring reached their highest RNA/DNA derived growth rates only at high docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentration. When the ratio of copepodids to lesser quality cirriped nauplii was low, larval growth and larval DHA concentration were both significantly negatively affected. This was true even as prey abundance was increasing. This finding indicates that even in mixed, natural feeding conditions, growth variations are associated with DHA availability in larval fish.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84892494659&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00227-013-2313-6
DO - 10.1007/s00227-013-2313-6
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84892494659
VL - 161
SP - 239
EP - 244
JO - Marine Biology
JF - Marine Biology
SN - 0025-3162
IS - 1
ER -