A Note on the Response of Developing Chum Salmon Eggs to Free Carbon Dioxide in Solution

Abstract

Fertilized eggs of chum salmon were incubated in seated bottles containing a low level of dissolved O2 (2.50 to 2.53 ppm) and dissolved CO2 ranging from 6.5 to 243 ppm. Up to a level of about 125 ppm of dissolved CO2, no effect was noted on the ability to the embryos to use dissolved O2; at higher levels pronounced diminution of O2 extracting ability was noted. The percentage of the embryos surviving to hatching time was also found to be related to the dissolved CO2.