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The observed reduction in diversity might be explained by over-representation of some <br />females in the 1990 year class. Initial comparison of average number of ova per female <br />recorded in DNFH Annual Reports indicates no difference between the 1990 year class <br />(approximately 0.94 x 105 eggs/female, N=17) and 1982-1989 year classes (0.83 x 105 <br />eggs/female, N=590). These statistics have little meaning, however, since large fish have <br />more ova than small ones and the unrecorded sizes of individual broodfish likely varied from <br />40 to 60 cm SL. <br />On the other hand, survival from fertilized ova to swim-up was only 11.1% in 1990 <br />(N=17 females), substantially lower than the minimum of 22.5% (mean 40.1%, maximum <br />71.4%, N=590) calculated from DNFH Annual Reports for the 1982-1989 year classes. <br />Because fertilized ova from several individuals are pooled, fertilization success and embryo <br />viability from specific females or coatings cannot be determined. As a result, it is possible <br />that some individuals or coatings contribute little or nothing while others contribute <br />proportionately large numbers of progeny to a given year class. This becomes especially <br />important when few females are involved. The observed results must at a minimum involve <br />an interaction between the number of females and viability of their offspring. <br />The relationship between intrinsic and extrinisic factors may have been further <br />confounded by variation in broodstock composition over time. Because of their importance to <br />these results and future conservation efforts, we present a l.istory of broodstock and year-class <br />production at DIvFH in Appendix II and detail directly below the actions which potentially <br />affected results of this study. <br />A maximum of 79 females captured in Lake Mohave in 1981 and 1982 (hereafter <br />81+82-WILD j contributed to a year class of F1 broodfish which, along with an ever-declining <br />number of 81+82-WILD fish, formed the basis for razorback sucker production at:DNFH <br />2l <br />