Landlocked Fall Chinook Salmon Egg Survival during Jar and Tray Incubation at a Production Hatchery

ABSTRACT

This study compared the survival of landlocked fall Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha eggs incubated in either upwelling jars, either with or without daily formalin treatments, or vertically-stacked trays treated daily with formalin in a production hatchery. In the first year of the study, survival to the eyed-egg stage was significantly greater in eggs incubated in jars without formalin compared to trays, but there was no significant difference in survival to hatch between the treatments. In the second year, there were no significant differences in eggs incubated in trays, in jars without formalin treatments, and in jars with formalin treatments. In the final year, there was no significant difference in eyed-egg survival between eggs incubated in trays and jars without formalin, but survival to hatch was significantly greater in the eggs incubated in jars. Jar incubation is recommended to maximize the survival of landlocked fall Chinook salmon eggs.

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