Modelling the influence of light, turbulence and ontogeny on ingestion rates in larval cod and herring

Based on existing models of fish vision and turbulence-mediated ingestion rates, we develop a model of ingestion rates in larval fish that combines several physical properties of the environment (turbulence, irradiance, light attenuation) and visual characteristics of predators and prey. The model of visual range was calibrated with observed estimates in larval herring ( Clupea harengus ) and cod ( Gadus morhua ). The improved visual ability with length of larvae was predicted to be the most sensitive part of the model. Both turbulence and light had strong impacts on the ingestion rate of larval fish. The optimal level of turbulence increased with larval length. Also, due to the exponential decay of light with depth, it was predicted that larvae will have higher ingestion rates near the surface, even at high wind velocities. It is also proposed that larvae (particularly the smallest larvae) should concentrate on larger prey in turbulent environments. We suggest that biophysical models of larval growth and survival in field situations should include these factors to account for environmental effects on growth, survival and recruitment processes in the early life stages.     

Predicting early life connectivity of Antarctic silverfish,an important forage species along the Antarctic Peninsula

The early life stages of the Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarctica), an important prey species for higher predators in the Southern Ocean ecosystem, dominate the larval fish assemblages of the Bransfield Strait, one of the most important areas for larval retention off the Antarctic Peninsula. Nevertheless, the spatial location of areas where they were spawned and the timing of larval hatching remain unknown. By linking Lagrangian particle tracking simulations with age data obtained using otolith microincrements from fish caught north of Joinville Island in a pelagic survey, we estimated the distribution of hatch dates and subsequent growth rates of silverfish reaching the Bransfield Strait, and predicted the areas where they were spawned. Larval hatching peaked during the last week of December, and the inner shelf and shelf break, east of the Larsen Ice shelf, were the dominant areas predicted to contribute to larval assemblages in the Bransfield Strait. Over simulated periods of 600–630 days, 35–40% of particles remained within the Bransfield Strait, suggesting an important source of supply to higher predators feeding off the northern Antarctic Peninsula. The daily growth rate at the mean size of 22.3 mm was 0.18 mm, corresponding to a daily change in size of approximately 0.82% standard length (SL), and large variability in growth rate suggested a wide range of environmental conditions experienced during the period of advection from the spawning areas. These results provide spatial predictions that can be tested empirically in future studies, using the simulated trajectories to inform sampling design and spatial coverage.     

A spatially explicit study of prey–predator interactions in larval fish: assessing the influence of food and predator abundance on larval growth and survival

We apply a coupled biophysical model to reconstruct the environmental history of larval radiated shanny in Conception Bay, Newfoundland. Data on the larvae, their prey and predators were collected during a 2‐week period. Our goal was to determine whether environmentally explicit information could be used to infer the characteristics of individual larvae that are most likely to survive. Backward drift reconstruction was used to assess the influence of variations in the feeding environment on changes in the growth rates of individual larvae. Forward drift projections were used to assess the impact of predators on mortality rates as well as the cumulative density distribution of growth rates in the population of larvae in different areas of the bay. There was relatively little influence of current feeding conditions on increment widths. Patterns of selective mortality indicate that fast‐growing individuals suffered higher mortality rates, suggesting they were growing into a predator's prey field. However, the mortality rates appeared to increase with decreasing predator abundance, based on the drift reconstructions. The relationship of growth and mortality with environmental conditions suggests that short‐term, small‐scale variations in environmental history may be difficult to describe accurately in this relatively small system (～1000 km²).     

The growth of larval cod and haddock in the Irish Sea: a model with temperature,prey size and turbulence forcing

We applied a physiological individual‐based model for the foraging and growth of cod (Gadus morhua) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) larvae, using observed temperature and prey fields data from the Irish Sea, collected during the 2006 spawning season. We used the model to estimate larval growth and survival and explore the different productivities of the cod and haddock stocks encountered in the Irish Sea. The larvae of both species showed similar responses to changes in environmental conditions (temperature, wind, prey availability, daylight hours) and better survival was predicted in the western Irish Sea, covering the spawning ground for haddock and about half of that for cod. Larval growth was predicted to be mostly prey‐limited, but exploration of stock recruitment data suggests that other factors are important to ensure successful recruitment. We suggest that the presence of a cyclonic gyre in the western Irish Sea, influencing the retention and/or dispersal of larvae from their spawning grounds, and the increasing abundance of clupeids adding predatory pressure on the eggs and larvae; both may play a key role. These two processes deserve more attention if we want to understand the mechanisms behind the recruitment of cod and haddock in the Irish Sea. For the ecosystem‐based management approach, there is a need to achieve a greater understanding of the interactions between species on the scale a fish stock is managed, and to work toward integrated fisheries management in particular when considering the effects of advection from spawning grounds and prey–predator reversal on the recovery of depleted stocks.     

Variation in the distribution of yellowfin sole Limanda aspera larvae in warm and cold years in the eastern Bering Sea

Multiyear periods of relatively cold temperatures (2007–2013) and warm temperatures (2001–2005 and 2014–2018) altered the eastern Bering Sea ecosystem, affecting ocean currents and wind patterns, plankton community, and spatial distribution of fishes. Yellowfin sole Limanda aspera larvae were collected from the inner domain (≤50 m depth) of the eastern Bering Sea among four warm years (2002, 2004, 2005, 2016), an average year (2006), and three cold years (2007, 2010, 2012). Spatial distribution and density of larvae among those years was analyzed using generalized additive models that included timing of sea-ice retreat, areal coverage of water ≤0°C, and water temperature as covariates. Analyses indicated a combination of temperature effects on the location and timing of spawning, and on egg and larval survival, may explain the variation in larval density and distribution among years. During warm years, higher density and wider spatial distribution of larvae may be due to earlier spawning, an expansion of the spawning area, and higher egg and larvae survival due to favorable temperatures. Larval distribution contracted shoreward, and density was lower during cold conditions and was likely due to fish spawning closer to shore to remain in preferred temperatures, later spawning, and increased mortality. Predicted drift trajectories from spawning areas showed that larvae would reach nursery grounds in most years. Years when the drift period was longer than the pelagic phase of the larvae occurred during both warm and cold conditions indicating that settlement outside of nursery areas could happen during either temperature condition.     

Momma's larvae: Maternal oceanographic experience and larval size influence early survival of rockfishes

Identifying factors that affect larval mortality is critical for understanding the drivers of fish population dynamics. Although larval fish mortality is high, small changes in mortality rates can lead to large changes in recruitment. Recent studies suggest maternal provisioning can dramatically affect the susceptibility of larvae to starvation and predation, the major sources of early-life mortality. We measured otolith core width-at-extrusion and validated that this is a proxy for larval size-at-extrusion for eight species of rockfishes (genus Sebastes) to examine the influence of initial larval size on larval growth and survival and to understand how oceanographic conditions experienced by gestating females affect larval size (i.e., quality). Otolith core width-at-extrusion was significantly positively related to larval rockfish recent growth rate (5/7 species with sufficient sample size) and survival (all eight species). This suggests that individuals that are larger at extrusion generally grow faster and are more likely to survive early life stages. Otolith core width-at-extrusion was positively related to higher presence of Pacific Subarctic Upper Water and was negatively related to warmer, saline waters at the depths gestating mothers inhabited during the months prior to larval collection. In addition, otolith core width was larger further from fishing ports, possibly because these locations were historically less fished, contained more older, larger females, and/or had inherently better habitat quality (higher Pacific Subarctic Upper Water) than sites closer to shore. These results indicate that the environmental conditions female rockfish experience during gestation drive the size of the larvae they produce and impact larval growth and survival.     

Ecological and Ethological Perspectives in Larval Fish Feeding

ABSTRACT

Low survival rates during larval stages constitute a major bottleneck in the successful culture of many marine and some freshwater fish. The availability of live food is recognized as a critical factor influencing larval survival. Live food is still superior to the best larval diets in terms of larval survival and growth. This paper reviews important ecological and ethological aspects of feeding, from hatching tothe weaning stage, and relates them to problems in larval culture. In general, freshwater fish larvae are easier to raise than marine fish larvae, because at hatching they are larger and endowed with more yolk reserves, are less sensitive to starvation, and canbe weaned to artificial diets sooner. The feeding behavior of the larvae can be analyzed in terms of the sequential components of predation: search, encounter, pursuit, attack, capture, and ingestion. The searching efficiency and encounter rates of the visual predator are influenced by prey parameters such as body size, conspicuousness, and evasiveness. Turbidity of the water and light intensity also affect prey detection. To changing prey densities, the larvae show typical Type II functional responses, which are influenced by prey handling time, which in turn is largely a function of prey size. Knowledge of larval functional responses is helpful in providing the right concentrations oflive food for larval culture. The larvae are initially gape-limited and exhibit prey size selectivity but gradually widen their prey size range as they grow. An aquacultural application of this is the commonly employed feeding protocol, prey size sequencing, in which progressively larger live food items are offered as the larvae grow. A thorough knowledge of the feeding behavior is also essential in the formulation of acceptable larval diets.     

Environmental factors influencing larval sprat Sprattus sprattus feeding during spawning time in the Baltic Sea

The management of Baltic sprat is challenged by highly variable recruitment success and hence large stock fluctuations. Recent studies have identified the larval and early juvenile life stages to be critical for the survival rate of a sprat year class. Although prey abundance was found to be linked to larval survival success, an analysis identifying the functional relationship and relative importance of other environmental factors is still missing. Sprat larval feeding was investigated in 2002 during three cruises, covering the main spawning time in the Bornholm Basin, Baltic Sea. The aim of the study was to identify the key environmental factors determining the feeding success of larval sprat taking their potential interactions explicitly into account. An extension of generalized additive models (GAMs) was adopted that allows the inclusion of interaction terms in a non‐parametric regression model. The final model of sprat larval feeding success explained ～80% of the variance in the data and was based on the following environmental factors: bottom depth, cubed wind speed as proxy for small‐scale turbulence rates, degree of cloudiness as proxy for light conditions and prey density in combination with a feeding period–cloudiness interaction term. Our study demonstrates that the feeding success of sprat larvae in the Baltic Sea is controlled by a number of simultaneously acting key environmental factors.     

Coupling ecosystem and individual‐based models to simulate the influence of environmental variability on potential growth and survival of larval sprat (Sprattus sprattus L.) in the North Sea

To investigate the impact of changing environmental conditions in the North Sea on the distribution and survival of early life stages of a marine fish species, we employed a suite of coupled model components: (i) an Eulerian coupled hydrodynamic/ecosystem (Nutrients, Phyto‐, Zooplankton, Detritus) model to provide both 3‐D fields of hydrographical properties, and spatially and temporally variable prey fields; (ii) a Lagrangian transport model to simulate temporal changes in cohort distribution; and (iii) an individual‐based model (IBM) to depict foraging, growth and survival of fish early life stages. In this application, the IBM was parameterized for sprat (Sprattus sprattus L.) and included non‐feeding (egg and yolk‐sac larval) stages as well as foraging and growth subroutines for feeding (post‐yolk sac) larvae. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the angle of visual acuity, assimilation efficiency and the maximum food consumption rate were the most critical intrinsic model parameters. As an example, we applied this model system for 1990 in the North Sea. Results included not only information concerning the interplay of temperature and prey availability on larval fish survival and growth but also information on mechanisms underlying larval fish aggregation within frontal zones. The good agreement between modelled and in situ estimates of sprat distribution and growth rates in the German Bight suggested that interconnecting these different models provided an expedient tool to scrutinize basic processes in fish population dynamics.     

Size-dependent predation on marine fish larvae by Ctenophores, Scyphomedusae, and Planktivorous fish

Size-dependent predation rates on marine fish larvae by the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi , scyphomedusa Chrysaora quinquecirrha , and planktivorous fish Anchoa mitchilli were estimated via experiments in 3.2 m³ me-socosms. Predation rates on larvae of the goby Gobio-soma bosci were estimated in relation to 1) length of larval prey, 2) presence or absence of alternative < 1 mm zooplankton prey, and 3) a predator-prey interaction between the scyphomedusa and ctenophore. The consumption rate of larvae by the three predators generally declined as larval length increased. The ctenophore ate fewer (1.0 d^-1 per predator) larvae than did the medusa (7.8 d ^-1 per predator) or bay anchovy (4.0 d ^-1 per predator), but it consumed larvae in all size classes tested (3.0–9.5 mm SL). Predation by bay anchovy and the medusa was more size-dependent: 3.0–5.0 mm larvae were most vulnerable. Fewer larvae were eaten by the ctenophore and bay anchovy when zooplankton alternative prey was available, but predation on larvae by the medusa was not influenced by alternative zooplankton prey. Consumption rate of fish larvae by the medusa was reduced 20–25% when the ctenophore was present as its alternative prey. An encounter-rate model was developed and its parameters estimated from the experimental results. Model simulations indicated that the relationship between larval size and vulnerability is dependent on size, swimming speed, and behavior of both predators and larvae, and that bigger or faster-growing fish larvae are not always less vulnerable to predation.     

Spawning of North Sea fishes linked to hydrographic features

Spawning of fishes takes place across a wide area of the North Sea. However, more intense spawning is seen in restricted areas, indicating that such areas present favorable conditions. To update information on fish spawning in the North Sea and analyze potential linkages to hydrographic characteristics, an internationally coordinated survey was conducted in the winter/spring of 2004. Oblique hauls for fish eggs and larvae and vertical profiles of temperature and salinity were carried out at 393 stations across the entire North Sea. The hydrography was strongly influenced by the interfacing of water masses of different salinity, and frontal zones were seen along all coastal areas and off the Dogger and Fisher Banks. Total abundances of eggs and larvae, including fish species such as cod, haddock, plaice, long rough dab and sandeel, peaked in the vicinity of the frontal areas. Hence our findings indicate that the main spawning locations of fish are linked to recurrent hydrographic features such as salinity fronts. Such a linkage may provide survival advantages, as the fronts present favorable feeding conditions, and the related physical processes may confine egg and larval dispersal and transport them towards suitable nursery habitats.     

Coastal winds and larval fish abundance indicate a recruitment mechanism for southeast Australian estuarine fisheries

Coastal winds transport water masses and larval fish onshore or offshore which may influence estuarine recruitment, yet our understanding of the mechanism underlying this relationship is limited. Here, we combine datasets from a historical database of larval fish off southeast Australia with a high-resolution atmospheric reanalysis model to show that normalised abundance of coastally spawned larvae increased with weak to moderate upwelling favourable winds 14 days prior to sampling. The increase in abundance may reflect increased nutrient and plankton availability for larval fish. Normalised larval abundance decreased following strong upwelling favourable winds but increased after onshore (downwelling favourable) winds, due to wind-driven transport. By combining a commercial estuarine fisheries catch-rate dataset (4 species, 8 estuaries, 10 years) and the high-resolution atmospheric reanalysis model, we show that negative effects of upwelling favourable winds during the spawning period can be detected in lagged estuarine commercial fisheries catch rates (lagged by 2–8 years depending on species' growth rates), potentially representing the same mechanism proposed for larval fish. Upwelling favourable winds in the southeast Australian region have increased since 1850 while onshore winds have decreased, which may have reduced larval recruitment to estuaries. Coastal winds are likely an important factor for estuarine recruitment in the southeast Australian region and future research on the estuarine recruitment of fish should incorporate coastal winds.     

Does upwelling intensity determine larval fish habitats in upwelling ecosystems? The case of Senegal and Mauritania

European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) comprise two‐thirds of total landings of small pelagic fishes in the Canary Current Eastern Boundary Ecosystem (CCEBE). Their spawning habitat is the continental shelf where upwelling is responsible for high productivity. While upwelling intensity is predicted to change through ocean warming, the effects of upwelling intensity on larval fish habitat expansion is not well understood. Larval habitat characteristics of both species were investigated during different upwelling intensity regimes. Three surveys were carried out to sample fish larvae during cold (permanent upwelling) and warm (low upwelling) seasons along the southern coastal upwelling area of the CCEBE (13°–22.5°N). Sardina pilchardus larvae were observed in areas of strong upwelling during both seasons. Larval habitat expansion was restricted from 22.5°N to 17.5°N during cold seasons and to 22.5°N during the warm season. Sardinella aurita larvae were observed from 13°N to 15°N during cold seasons and 16–21°N in the warm season under low upwelling conditions. Generalized additive models predicted upwelling intensity driven larval fish abundance patterns. Observations and modeling revealed species‐specific spawning times and locations, that resulted in a niche partitioning allowing species' co‐existence. Alterations in upwelling intensity may have drastic effects on the spawning behavior, larval survival, and probably recruitment success of a species. The results enable insights into the spawning behavior of major small pelagic fish species in the CCEBE. Understanding biological responses to physical variability are essential in managing marine resources under changing climate conditions.     

Subtropical water influences temporal fluctuations of early life stages of Vinciguerria lucetia (Osteichthyes: Phosichthyidae) in the Humboldt Current System (1998–2004)

In the last decades, the fish Vinciguerria lucetia (Garman) has been of important interest to the fisheries sector; nonetheless, the spawning and nursery zones in the Humboldt Current System (HCS) have not yet been defined. By using a temporal series of 23 oceanographic surveys from austral spring of 1998 to autumn 2004 off northern Chile, the spatial and temporal distribution and abundance of eggs and larvae of V. lucetia were studied. The relationships with environmental conditions (sea surface temperature, water column stratification, salinity, dissolved oxygen) were modeled using generalized additive models (GAMs). Seasonal variations in eggs and larval abundances were recorded, and higher abundances were observed in spring and summer, respectively. The main spawning areas were located at approximately between 40 and 80 nautical miles offshore. The largest abundances of V. lucetia eggs were found during spring 2003; however, larval abundances reached the highest values following the strongest ENSO event 1997–98. GAMs predicted that offshore location, sea surface temperature, and the deepening of the oxygen minimum zone, characteristics of the subtropical waters (22–24°C, >34.9, 3–6 ml/L) drove eggs and larval distributions of V. lucetia in the HCS during 1998–2004, toward areas with scarce food availability for larvae. These results suggest that spawning and larval development of this oceanic species occur in oligotrophic waters as a loophole strategy, in order to reduce predation risk during early life stages.     

Coupling hydrodynamic and individual‐based models to simulate long‐term larval supply to coastal nursery areas

For many marine fish species, recruitment is strongly related to larval survival and dispersal to nursery areas. Simulating larval drift should help assessing the sensitivity of recruitment variability to early life history. An individual‐based model (IBM) coupled to a hydrodynamic model was used to simulate common sole larval supply from spawning areas to coastal and estuarine nursery grounds at the population scale in the eastern Channel on a 14‐yr time series, from 1991 to 2004. The IBM allowed each particle released to be transported by currents from the hydrodynamic model, to grow with temperature, to migrate vertically giving stage development, and possibly to die according to drift duration, representing the life history from spawning to metamorphosis. Despite sensitivity to the larval mortality rate, the model provided realistic simulations of cohort decline and spatio‐temporal variability of larval supply. The model outputs were analysed to explore the effects of hydrodynamics and life history on the interannual variability of settled sole larvae in coastal nurseries. Different hypotheses of the spawning spatial distribution were also tested, comparing homogeneous egg distribution to observation and potential larval survival (PLS) maps. The sensitivity analyses demonstrated that larval supply is more sensitive to the life history along larval drift than to the phenology and volume of spawning, providing explanations for the lack of significant stock–recruitment relationship. Nevertheless, larval supply is sensitive to spawning distribution. Results also suggested a very low connectivity between supposed different sub‐populations in the eastern Channel.     

Multiple spawning events promote increased larval dispersal of a predatory fish in a western boundary current

Transport of larvae by ocean currents is an important dispersal mechanism for many species. The timing and location of spawning can have a large influence on settlement location. Shifts in the known spawning habitat of fish, whether due to climate or the discovery of new spawning stock, can influence the distribution of juveniles and our understanding of connectivity. The globally distributed species; Pomatomus saltatrix, is one such example where a previously unrecognised summer spawning event and a more southern latitudinal extent was recently reported for the southwest Pacific population. Although restrictions are in place to protect the traditional spawning event, the importance of the newly recognised summer spawning event is uncertain. Here, we investigate larval dispersal of P. saltatrix using particle tracking simulations to identify the contributions of the different spawning events to settlement. By modelling dispersal of larvae released in northern and mid‐latitude regions over the Austral spring and summer, we show that the newly recognised mid‐latitude summer spawning event contributes over 50% of the larvae reaching southern latitudes. This is due to a reduced (1–2 days) pelagic larval duration (associated with temperature), resulting in reduced larval mortality, and the seasonal (summer) strengthening of the East Australian Current (EAC) transporting particles ~50 km further south. These findings demonstrate that in dynamic boundary current systems such as the EAC, the final settlement location of larvae that are transported by ocean currents can vary considerably depending on the timing and location of spawning and that multiple spawning events are important for maximum dispersal.     

Temporal and spatial variability in growth and condition of dab (Limanda limanda) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus) larvae in the Irish Sea

Variability in the high mortality rate during early life stages is considered to be one of the principal determinants of year‐class variability in fish stocks. The influence of water column stability on the spatial distribution of fish larvae and their prey is widely acknowledged. Water column stability may also impact growth through the early life history of fishes, and consequently alter the probability of survival to maturity by limiting susceptibility to predation and starvation. As a test of this concept, the variability in condition and growth of dab (Limanda limanda) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus) larvae was investigated in relation to seasonal stratification of the water column in the north‐western Irish Sea. RNA/DNA ratios and otolith microincrement analysis were used to estimate nutritional status and recent growth rates of larvae captured on four cruises in May and June of 1998 and 1999. Dab and sprat larvae were less abundant in 1999 and were in poorer condition with lower growth rates than in 1998. Dab larvae of <13 mm also exhibited spatial variability with higher RNA/DNA ratios at the seasonal tidal‐mixing front compared with stratified and mixed water masses. However, the growth and nutritional status of sprat larvae was uncorrelated to water column stability, meaning the more favourable feeding conditions generally associated with the stratified pool and tidal‐mixing front in the Irish Sea were not reflected in the growth and condition of these larvae. This suggests that the link between stability, production and larval growth is more complicated than inferred by some previous studies. The existence of spatio‐temporal heterogeneity in the growth and condition of these larvae has implications for larval survival and the recruitment success of these species in the Irish Sea.     

Improvement in the efficiency of stocking lakes with larvae of Coregonus albula L. by delaying hatching

Low survival of vendace (Coregonus albula) eggs incubating on natural spawning grounds (due to silting, oxygen deficits and action of predators) is discussed as one of the reasons for the great fluctuation in numbers of commercial fish. Incubation of eggs in hatcheries where the survival rate averages 60% could compensate for the great numerical disparity between the eggs spawned naturally and those taken for hatcheries. In the absence of the effects of mass stocking of lakes with vendace larvae, one can conclude that apparent mortality during the larval stage also determines the strength of the successive year-class.Vendace larvae are usually stocked immediately after the ice cover recedes from lakes. At this time they often face a period of cold weather when water temperature is low and food organisms are scarce. Poor environmental conditions cause slow growth of larvae. This increases the period of highest vulnerability of the larvae to predation.It is possible to accelerate the growth of larvae by synchronizing the time of stocking with the development of favourable thermal conditions and food availability in lakes. In Polish climatic conditions the first 10 days of May seem to be a suitable time for stocking lakes.A technique for delaying vendace egg hatching by cooling the hatchery water has been developed. It enables hatching of vendace to be delayed from the beginning of April until the beginning of May, thereby inducing mass hatching of larvae when lake conditions are optimal for stocking.     

Searching for sensitivity in the life history of Atlantic menhaden: inferences from a matrix model

We used modified Leslie matrix models to explore the life history of Atlantic menhaden ( Brevoortia tyrannus ). By examining the sensitivity of long-term population growth rates to changes in vital rates, we identified those life history components which can cause large population level responses. Our models subdivide the first year of life into five stages (eggs, early larvae, late larvae, juveniles, and 'peanuts' or subadults), and population growth rate responds most strongly to changes in juvenile and late larval stages. The relative ranking between these stages is dependent on the magnitude of mortality during the prejuvenile stages relative to juvenile mortality. An examination of low-level model parameters indicates that the population growth rate is influenced by the growth and mortality rates during the time when young-of-the-year menhaden are gaining access to and residing in the estuaries. Sensitivity to changes in many adult metrics, such as fishing mortality, were relatively low. We conclude that a better understanding of biotic and abiotic factors that influence the late larval and juvenile stages will further our understanding of population dynamics in this species.     

Spawning success and early life history of longnose suckers in Great Lakes tributaries

Fish eggs and larvae are often subject to very high mortality, and variation in early life survival can be important for population dynamics. Although longnose suckers (Catostomus catostomus) are widespread in northern North America, little is known about their early life history. We examined fecundity and early larval survivorship during sucker spawning events in three small Lake Michigan tributaries. Although egg deposition varied 25% among spawning events, estimated larval export to the lake varied over 25,000‐fold from around 1000 to 26 million. Based on variation in environmental conditions across years, it appears that spring flow and temperature may be important determinants of egg survival to larval outmigration. Larval age data suggest that most individuals that survived to outmigration hatched during a 2‐day period despite adult spawning across at least 10 days. Most larvae spent <2 weeks in the stream and emigrated around the time of transition from endogenous to exogenous feeding before substantial growth occurred. In two of three cases, larvae drifted exclusively at night; however, high drift rates occurred during both day and night in the case where larvae were very abundant, suggesting density‐dependent drift behaviour. Our results indicate that survival in tributary streams from egg deposition to larval export is highly variable in longnose suckers. These large differences in early life survival may translate into variability in recruitment, thereby influencing population structure and dynamics.