Elevated incubation temperatures increase egg mortality. High survival to hatching and emergence tend to occur at temperatures of 4 – 12 C, with best survival occurring between 6 and 10 C. For Chinook salmon, temperatures that are below 11 - 13 C at egg deposition are most likely to result in high survival rates.
Water temperature affects the rate of embryo and alevin development. Time to emergence is exponentially related to temperature, with lower temperatures resulting in slower emergence rates. Higher temperatures generally result in faster development rates and shorter incubation times, but very low temperatures can produce larger alevins due to decreased metabolic costs. Longer exposures to high temperatures may also increase likelihood of abnormalities. The most robust fry are generally produced at moderate temperatures.
In addition to mean temperatures experienced, variation in the thermal regime during incubation is also important. Laboratory studies have explored effects of seasonal patterns on egg survival. Survival can be adequate when initial temperatures are high (e.g., near 15 C), as long as temperatures fall to within an acceptable range for a majority of the developmental period. Eggs incubated with unnatural or high thermal variability may hatch later and be more developed.
Tolerance to high temperatures differs among developmental stages, and fry may have a higher rate of developmental impairment due to latent effects of early incubation conditions. Tolerance also varies across species populations may be locally adapted.
Beacham, T. D., and C. B. Murray. 1985. Effect of female size, egg size, and water temperature on developmental biology of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) from the Nitinat River, British Columbia. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 42:1755-1765.
Combs, B. D. 1965. Effect of temperature on the development of salmon eggs. The Progressive Fish-Culturist unknown:134-137.
Crisp, D. T. 1992. Measurement of stream water temperature and biological applications to salmonid fishes, grayling and dace. Freshwater Biological Association, Occasional Publication No. 29, Durham, DL.
Homolka, K., and T. W. Downey. 1995. Assessment of thermal effects on salmon spawning and fry emergence, McKenzie River, 1992. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; Financed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland.
Jensen, J. O. T., and E. P. Groot. 1991. The effect of moist air incubation conditions and temperature on chinook salmon egg survival. American Fisheries Society 10:529-538.
Konecki, J. T., C. A. Woody, and T. P. Quinn. 1995. Critical thermal maxima of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) fry under field and laboratory acclimation regimes. Canadian Journal of Zoology 73:993-996.
Murray, C. B., and T. D. Beacham. 1987. The developmjent of chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) embryos and alevins under varying temperature regimes. Canadian Journal of Zoology 65(11):2672-2681.
Olson, P. A., and R. F. Foster. 1955. Temperature tolderance of eggs and young of Columbia River chinook salmon. American Fisheries Society:203-207.
Raleigh, R. F., W. J. Miller, and P. C. Nelson. 1986. Habitat suitability index models and instream flow suitability curves: chinook salmon. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Elevated incubation temperatures increase egg mortality. High survival to hatching and emergence tend to occur at temperatures of 4 – 12 C, with best survival occurring between 6 and 10 C. For Chinook salmon, temperatures that are below 11 - 13 C at egg deposition are most likely to result in high survival rates.
Water temperature affects the rate of embryo and alevin development. Time to emergence is exponentially related to temperature, with lower temperatures resulting in slower emergence rates. Higher temperatures generally result in faster development rates and shorter incubation times, but very low temperatures can produce larger alevins due to decreased metabolic costs. Longer exposures to high temperatures may also increase likelihood of abnormalities. The most robust fry are generally produced at moderate temperatures.
In addition to mean temperatures experienced, variation in the thermal regime during incubation is also important. Laboratory studies have explored effects of seasonal patterns on egg survival. Survival can be adequate when initial temperatures are high (e.g., near 15 C), as long as temperatures fall to within an acceptable range for a majority of the developmental period. Eggs incubated with unnatural or high thermal variability may hatch later and be more developed.
Tolerance to high temperatures differs among developmental stages, and fry may have a higher rate of developmental impairment due to latent effects of early incubation conditions. Tolerance also varies across species populations may be locally adapted.
_Early literature summarized in E2F_Survival_Temperature.csv:_
Beacham, T. D., and C. B. Murray. 1985. Effect of female size, egg size, and water temperature on developmental biology of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) from the Nitinat River, British Columbia. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 42:1755-1765.
Combs, B. D. 1965. Effect of temperature on the development of salmon eggs. The Progressive Fish-Culturist unknown:134-137. Crisp, D. T. 1992. Measurement of stream water temperature and biological applications to salmonid fishes, grayling and dace. Freshwater Biological Association, Occasional Publication No. 29, Durham, DL.
Homolka, K., and T. W. Downey. 1995. Assessment of thermal effects on salmon spawning and fry emergence, McKenzie River, 1992. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; Financed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland.
Jensen, J. O. T., and E. P. Groot. 1991. The effect of moist air incubation conditions and temperature on chinook salmon egg survival. American Fisheries Society 10:529-538.
Konecki, J. T., C. A. Woody, and T. P. Quinn. 1995. Critical thermal maxima of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) fry under field and laboratory acclimation regimes. Canadian Journal of Zoology 73:993-996.
Murray, C. B., and T. D. Beacham. 1987. The developmjent of chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) embryos and alevins under varying temperature regimes. Canadian Journal of Zoology 65(11):2672-2681.
Olson, P. A., and R. F. Foster. 1955. Temperature tolderance of eggs and young of Columbia River chinook salmon. American Fisheries Society:203-207.
Raleigh, R. F., W. J. Miller, and P. C. Nelson. 1986. Habitat suitability index models and instream flow suitability curves: chinook salmon. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.