The present experiments were carried out to ascertain the optimum temperature and the optimum salinity of the sea water for the embryonal development of the eggs of
Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae (G
ÜNTHER). (1) For the influence of temperature, the artificially fertilized eggs were kept at ten constant temperatures ranging from about 4° to 21°C. The time required for hatching and the percentages of the hatched fry were observed. (2) For the influence of salinity, the eggs were kept at six constant salinities ranging from 14•34 to 49•70‰, and at 10•1°C on an average. The percentages of the hatched fry were observed.
The results obtained may be summarized as follows: -
1. Water temperature for normal development of the eggs ranges from 6° to 16°C., the optimum being about 9°C.
2. Favorable salinity for normal development of the eggs ranges from 20•90 to 40•11‰.
3. The relation between the temperature (
θ) and time in days required for hatching (
T) may be expressed, as given by H
IGUBASHI and T
AUTI, by the formula
Teeθ=
C, where a and
C are constants specific to the kind of eggs. The values of these constants found in the present experiment and that of
Q10 calculated therefrom are,
a=0•117,
C=1•524 and
Q10=3•21.
4. The product of temperature and time in days required for hatching increases with temperature at lower temperatures but decreases at higher, and thus it gives the maximum value at 8•5°C.
5. The percentage of deformity of the hatched fry varies inversely with the hatch rate in relation to temperature; and nearly half of the deformed fry were of the form of downward bending.
6. In the relation between the salinity variation and the time in days required for hatching no appreciable difference was observed.
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