FECUNDITY AND EGG WEIGHT IN ENGLISH SOLE, PLEURONECTES VETULUS, FROM PUGET-SOUND, WASHINGTON - INFLUENCE OF NUTRITIONAL-STATUS AND CHEMICALCONTAMINANTS

Differences in fecundity and egg weight were evaluated in English sole , Pleuronectes vetulus, from four sites in Puget Sound (the Duwamish W aterway Eagle Harbor, Sinclair Inlet, and Port Susan) with differing c oncentrations and types of sediment contamination. Duwamish Waterway s ediment has high concentrations of both polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 's) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's), Eagle Harbor sedimen t has high concentrations of PAH's, and Sinclair Inlet sediment has lo w concentrations of PAH's and moderate concentrations of PCB's, wherea s sediments at Port Susan, the reference site, are minimally contamina ted. Fish from the Duwamish Waterway and Eagle Harbor had significantl y higher levels of fluorescent aromatic compounds (FAC's) in bile than sole from Port Susan and Sinclair Inlet, and fish from the Duwamish W aterway had significantly higher concentrations of PCB's in ovary and liver tissue than fish from the other sampling sites. Fecundity and eg g weight were compared in fish of equivalent size, age, and reproducti ve maturity from the four sites; fish from the Duwamish Waterway showe d significantly higher relative fecundity and lower egg weight than fi sh collected from the three other sites. Production of more and smalle r eggs in fish from the Duwamish Waterway site was associated with ele vated hepatosomatic indices, elevated plasma triglyceride levels, and elevated levels of PCB's in liver and ovarian tissue, and reduced plas ma vitellogenin levels (as estimated from alkali-labile protein (ALP) concentrations). Fish from the Duwamish Waterway and Sinclair Inlet al so had higher age-specific fecundity than animals from other sites bec ause of their larger size at age. On an individual fish basis, elevate d tissue PCB concentrations were significantly correlated with low pla sma ALP, reduced egg weight, and increased egg number, whereas elevate d biliary FAC's were associated with increased ovarian atresia, increa sed egg weight, and reduced egg number. The results of this study sugg est that English sole exposed to chemical contaminants may experience alterations in egg development; however, nutritional or other environm ental factors may also contribute to the observed intersite difference s in egg weight and fecundity.