Relative Importance of Additive Genetic and Maternal Sources of Variation in Early Survival of Young Splake Hybrids (Salvelinus fontinalis × S. namaycush)

Abstract

Additive genetic and maternal effects of survival of uneyed eggs, eyed eggs, and alevins were determined from five series of matings within a splake brood stock. Average values for family h2 (heritability) and family m (maternal variance/total variance) were estimated. There were additive genetic effects in alevin survival (h2 =.41 ±.18) but not in uneyed or eyed egg survival. Maternal effects were greatest within the uneyed stage (m =.78 ±.22), decreased during the eyed egg stage (m =.68 ±.24), and were least within the alevin stage (.40 ±.19). The additive genetic effect on alevin survival was attributable to genetic differences in the resistance of young splake to blue sac disease (h2 =.76 ±.28).