Egg quality and egg pigment content in salmonid fishes

@article{citeulike:910460, abstract = {The widespread belief in the superior quality of highly pigmented eggs is examined by bringing together evidence concerning the effect of the carotenoid content of salmonid eggs on their viability. It is concluded that, in rainbow trout, there is not a simple linear relation between these two quantities. There is some evidence that a critical level exists (ca. 1-3 [mu]g carotenoid/g eggs) above which hatching percentages of more than 80\% may be expected but below which hatching percentages of less than 50\% tend to occur. However, the evidence is not conclusive and suitable experiments under controlled conditions have not been performed. Eggs of wild fish are frequently of higher quality than eggs of farmed fish but this difference is not necessarily caused by the large difference in egg carotenoid content but rather by the generally superior nutrition of the wild fish. The effects of egg carotenoid composition, including the artificial pigmentation of eggs with dietary canthaxanthin, on egg viability are considered, and the possible functions of egg carotenoids during embryonic development are discussed. Only one such function has been conclusively demonstrated, namely that they act as a source of pigment for the chromatophores of the alevin. Analogy with other animals suggests that [beta]-carotene, when present, may act as a precursor of vitamin A. There is growing evidence that carotenoids may perform some undefined function in respiration of egg or alevin when oxygen is deficient.}, author = {Craik, J. C. A. }, citeulike-article-id = {910460}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0044-8486(85)90008-0}, journal = {Aquaculture}, keywords = {carotenoid, egg}, month = {July}, number = {1}, pages = {61--88}, posted-at = {2006-10-23 22:39:50}, priority = {2}, title = {Egg quality and egg pigment content in salmonid fishes}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0044-8486(85)90008-0}, volume = {47}, year = {1985} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:910460 L3 - citeulike-article-id:910460 TI - Egg quality and egg pigment content in salmonid fishes JF - Aquaculture VL - 47 IS - 1 SP - 61 EP - 88 N2 - The widespread belief in the superior quality of highly pigmented eggs is examined by bringing together evidence concerning the effect of the carotenoid content of salmonid eggs on their viability. It is concluded that, in rainbow trout, there is not a simple linear relation between these two quantities. There is some evidence that a critical level exists (ca. 1-3 [mu]g carotenoid/g eggs) above which hatching percentages of more than 80% may be expected but below which hatching percentages of less than 50% tend to occur. However, the evidence is not conclusive and suitable experiments under controlled conditions have not been performed. Eggs of wild fish are frequently of higher quality than eggs of farmed fish but this difference is not necessarily caused by the large difference in egg carotenoid content but rather by the generally superior nutrition of the wild fish. The effects of egg carotenoid composition, including the artificial pigmentation of eggs with dietary canthaxanthin, on egg viability are considered, and the possible functions of egg carotenoids during embryonic development are discussed. Only one such function has been conclusively demonstrated, namely that they act as a source of pigment for the chromatophores of the alevin. Analogy with other animals suggests that [beta]-carotene, when present, may act as a precursor of vitamin A. There is growing evidence that carotenoids may perform some undefined function in respiration of egg or alevin when oxygen is deficient. KW - carotenoid KW - egg AU - Craik, JCA PY - 1985/07/01/ UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0044-8486(85)90008-0 ER -