The Link Between Adult Diet and Larval Survival: Could It be Operating in Nature?

Recent laboratory studies have shown that the fatty acid composition of eggs influences the ecological performance (survival skills) of red drum larvae. Some of those fatty acids cannot be manufactured by a fish, and some of the effects cannot be compensated through a rich larval diet. This establishes a potentially important link between adult diet and larval survival. We assessed the variability of larval performance and egg fatty acid composition in nature. We also assessed the temporal dynamics of the diet-egg relationship. We found that (1) the range of performance of wild larvae was comparable to that of lab-reared larvae that exhibited effects of egg composition; (2) some survival skills vary seasonally; (3) egg fatty acid composition can vary within a season and across years; and (4) egg composition can vary geographically. Egg fatty acid composition responded quickly to variations in adult diet, within 2-15 days. Therefore, eggs might change substantially over the 2-3 month spawning period that follows migration from offshore to estuaries. Taken together, these results suggest that adult diet has important implications for larval survival and recruitment. This mechanism may be important for predicting the impacts of migrations, regime shifts, climate change, and anthropogenic changes to the environment on production and dynamics of fish populations.