Landlocked Fall Chinook Salmon Egg Storage for Delayed Fertilization

Delayed fertilization of salmonid eggs can be a useful option to enhance the efficiency of artificial spawning operations. This experiment examined the fertility of landlocked fall Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) eggs stored for various times after removal from female broodstock. Fertilization occurred either immediately after spawning or the eggs were stored with oxygen at 11°C and fertilized at 4, 6, 8, 12, or 20 hours post-spawn. Survival to the eyed stage of egg development was significantly greater in the eggs fertilized immediately or after four, six, or eight hours of storage compared to those eggs stored for 12 or 20 hours prior to fertilization (P = 0.024). Survival to hatch was also significantly different (P = 0.018) and followed the same pattern. This study is the first to document the successful fertilization of landlocked fall Chinook salmon eggs after eight hours of storage.