Irma Kesaulya

Effects of hypersaline conditions on the growth and survival of larval red drum-(sciaenops ocellatus)

• Authors Details :  
• Irma Kesaulya,  
• Robert Vega

241 Views Original Article

Texas bays and estuaries experience salinity fluctuations (e.g., droughts, reduced freshwater inflows and hurricanes) caused by natural weather and climate change. This could have impacts on red drum Sciaenops ocellatus (Linnaeus) early life stages beacause red drum spend their early life stage at the shallow bays and estuarine waters of Texas Bay. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the impact of high salinity concentrations on the survival, growth and development of red drum eggs and larvae. Red drum brood stocks were collected from wild stocks throughout the lower Texas coast and were held in hatchery tanks (13,250 L) until spawning. The water quality conditions were maintained at a salinity of 38ppt and seawater temperature of 25°C. The red drum eggs were hatched at a wide range of salinity treatments (28-48ppt). Egg hatch-out rates and larvae growth were reduced at the lowest (28ppt) and highest (48ppt) salinity treatments. Hypersalinity (≥ 40ppt) and a temperature of 25ºC affected the hatching success of red drum eggs. The percentage of egg hatching success and length of larvae were reduced in both lower (28ppt) and/or hypersalinity (48ppt). This study shows that red drum eggs can hatch within a wide range of salinities with best hatch-out and growth rates occurring between 33 – 43ppt. It also suggests that climate change that produces global warming can keep the increasing environmental salinity of the Texas bay which might have an impact on the development of the early stages of the red drum in their natural environment.

Article Subject Details

• Biological Sciences

Article Keywords Details

• early life stages
• hatching success
• hypersalinity
• red drum
• Texas Bay
• Estuary

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