Parental influence on early development in the European sea bass

Fertilization, survival during incubation acid hatching were highly correla ted and strongly influenced by the female parent and the interaction betwee n both parents of the sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax. A single significant m ale effect was detected on hatching and may reflect a genetic component det ermining survival from fertilization to hatching. Egg size and total length of 8-day-old larvae (age of first feeding) were also subjected to the infl uence of the female but the two parameters were not correlated. R significa nt interaction between both parents was also observed for length of larvae. The survival rates were significantly correlated in two consecutive years indicating that reproductive performances may be repeatable. Although the e ffect of the male parent on early sea bass development is shown for the fir st time, it seems that most of the parental effects on early performance in this species are due to females even when hormonal stimulations are perfor med at very close prematurational stages of oocyte development. (C) 2001 Th e Fisheries Society of the British Isles.