7921 ‎(2)‎

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7921
• Author: Trembly, T. L. and G. A. Gould.
• Title: Opportunities To Protect Instream Flows In Colorado And Wyoming.
• USFW Year: 1987.
• USFW - Doc Type: Biological Report 87‎(10)‎,
• Copyright Material: NO

According to Doroshev (1970) and Morgan et al. (1981), the optimum tem-
perature range for best survival of striped bass eggs is about 17 to 20° C
(62.6 to 68.0° F). However, Rogers et al. (1977) reported that egg survival
was highest at 15 to 18° C (59 to 64.4° F). Bayless (1972) suggested that egg
survival through hatching was best at 16.7 to 18.2° C (62 to 65° F). Rogers
(1978) proposed a temperature of 18° C (64.4° F) as the physiological growth
optimum for embryonic development and 18 to 21° C (64.4 to 70.0° F) for
yolk-sac absorption.
Larval. Rogers et al. (1977) reported that the mean time between hatching
and yolk absorption was 5.1 days at 21° C (69.8° F) and 8.3 days at 15° C
(59° F). The duration of larval development (finfold plus post-finfold state)
was about 24 days at 21° C (69.8° F) and 68 days at 15° C (59° F). Larvae may
live within a temperature range of 12.8 to 23.9° C (55 to 75° F), but high
mortality can be expected at 23.9° C (75° F) and above (Albrecht 1964).
Temperatures below 10° C (50° F) and above 23° C (73.4° F) are apparently
lethal to larvae (Doroshev 1970). Shannon and Smith (1968) reported 100%
mortality of newly hatched larvae held at 23.3° C (74° F) for 70 hours;
whereas, 100% of the larvae held at 21.1° C (70° F) for 76 hours survived. An
optimal temperature range of 18 to 21° C (64.4 to 69.8° F) was reported for
yolk-sac larvae (Rogers et al. 1977; Rogers 1978). Temperature ranges of 16
to 22° C (60.8 to 71.6° F) and 16 to 19° C (60.8 to 66.2° F) were reported to
be favorable for striped bass larvae by Bogdanov et al. (1967) and Doroshov
(1970), respectively. Results of a striped bass Delphi technique (Crance
1985) indicated that larvae survival was goad at temperatures as high as
24.4° C (76° F) in Alabama ponds, 25° C (77° F) in Chaptank River, Maryland,
and 25.6° C (78° F) in South Carolina ponds; the ideal range for larvae in the
Apalachicola River, Florida, was 18.3 to 22.2° C (65 to 72° F). Dey (1981)
hypothesized that a sudden drop in water temperature from 15 to 12° C (59.0 to
53.6° F) in the Hudson River Estuary probably resulted in almost complete
mortality of striped bass larvae. Boreman (1983) supported this hypothesis.
Dissolved oxygen concentration (V2~. The U.S. Environmental Protection
,Agency (1976) recommended a dissolved oxygen concentration of 5.0 mg/1 as the
minimum level for maintaining good fish populations. Price et al. (1985)
presented evidence for the working hypothesis that the decline of striped bass
in Chesapeake Bay has resulted, in part, from limiting concentrations of
dissolved oxygen.
Adult. Areas of the Delaware River have been eliminated as striped bass
spawning grounds due to low dissolved oxygen concentrations (Chittenden 1971a).
Adults avoided water of 44% or less saturation in laboratory tests (Meldrim
et al. 1974). It is assumed that dissolved oxygen concentrations suitable for
egg survival, embryo development, hatching, and larval survival also are
suitable for spawning adults.
Egg. Reductions in dissolved oxygen from 5 to 4 mg/l adversely affected
the percent hatch of eggs and had a detrimental effect on larval survival
(Turner and Farley 1971). Harrell and Bayless (1981) reported that normal
development of striped bass embryos required a dissolved oxygen concentration
3.0 mg/1. Dissolved oxygen levels of 2.0 to 3.0 mg/1 may have been respon-
sible for the absence of striped bass eggs in areas of the Delaware River
(Murawski 1969).
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