The importance of stream interstitial conditions for the early‐life‐stage development of the European nase (Chondrostoma nasus L.)

Rheophilic cyprinid populations are in decline in many European rivers and have become target species of conservation and river restoration. This is especially true for the European nase (Chondrostoma nasus), a lithophilic species for which the early life stages pose the first bottlenecks in successful population development. In this study, egg dispersal at the substrate surface as well as within the stream interstitial was evaluated and the development of nase eggs was tested at three spawning grounds in the German Alpine Foreland. New incubation systems for cyprinid eggs as well as reference incubation boxes were developed. A significantly higher number of nase eggs (95.5%) were deposited within the stream interstitial compared to eggs sticking to the substrate surface (4.5%). Most eggs successfully developed within the stream interstitial, and hatched larvae moved deeper into the stream substrate. Higher fine sediment accumulation rates in incubation systems had a negative impact on hatching rates. Our results suggest that a permeable, well‐oxygenated stream interstitial at spawning grounds can greatly enhance hatching rates and successful development of nase, as previously found for other taxa such as salmonids. Furthermore, movements of hatched larvae into deeper layers of the stream interstitial underline its importance not only for egg development, but also as shelter for early life stages. Future conservation and restoration efforts should thus consider more intensively stream interstitial conditions on spawning grounds, including evaluating physical characteristics, fine sediment accumulation as well as bioindication with suitable incubation systems for cyprinids.     

The effects of stream substratum composition on the emergence of salmonid fry

Sternecker K, Geist J. The effects of stream substratum composition on the emergence of salmonid fry.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 537–544. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Salmonid fishes are target species for the conservation of freshwater habitats, but their natural reproduction is often insufficient. The emergence of fry is a crucial phase in the life cycle of salmonids and the stream substratum is the key habitat which regulates the emergence success. In this study, brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Danube salmon (Hucho hucho) eggs were exposed to different sediment textures and the emergence and the postemergence survival and growth were observed under constant water chemical conditions in the laboratory. In both species, textural effects on emergence rate, chronology of emergence, survival rate after emergence and growth after emergence were detected. Fine‐textured substratum (5–8 mm) formed a physical barrier to the posthatch migration of salmonids from the interstitial zone to the open water. The time period between the first and the last emerged fish was shorter in treatments with fine texture compared with coarse substratum. The survival rate was higher in treatments of coarser sediment. The effects of different textures on the growth of fry after emergence differed between brown trout and Danube salmon, which can be explained by different life history strategies. These results suggest that physical characteristics of substratum texture can have strong effects on salmonid emergence, and ultimately on the persistence of salmonid populations. They also suggest that biodiversity conservation in stream ecosystems can greatly benefit from an inclusion of the physical characteristics of the stream bed into catchment‐based management plans.     

Factors influencing the success of salmonid egg development in river substratum

Interstitial water conditions in the hyporheic zone of the stream bed are determinants of salmonid egg hatching success. We used standardised egg exposures to develop and validate discriminant analysis and generalised linear model models linking the hatching success of brown trout (Salmo trutta) with physicochemical factors of the interstitial zone (e.g., oxygen, specific conductance, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, pH and redox potential). Interstitial water quality was identified as a limiting factor for egg development (median of relative hatching rates = 0.23). Hatching success was unimodal in hatchery and field references incubated in free‐flowing water, but bimodal (very high or very low hatching success) in natural sediment exposures. The effects of physicochemical factors on the hatching success of Salmo trutta strongly depended on both the time and spatial scale analysed. The variables retained in the models differed between the macroscale (over all rivers), the river‐specific scale (within a river) and the microscale (at different sediment depths). Egg hatching success decreased with increased substratum depth (decrease of 26% in 150 mm compared with 50 mm). Increasingly more variable interstitial water conditions (e.g., oxygen) throughout the egg incubation period suggest progressive degradation rates in the stream substratum during the incubation period at the microscale level. Consequently, consideration of different spatial and temporal scales is necessary for the evaluation of habitat quality in salmonid conservation and catchment management plans.     

Does sand content in spawning substrate result in early larval emergence? Evidence from a lithophilic cyprinid fish

The spawning success of lithophilic salmonids is strongly influenced by the fine sediment content (“fines”) of spawning substrates, yet knowledge on the impacts of fines on the spawning of non‐salmonid lithophiles remains limited, despite their ecological and socio‐economic importance in European rivers. Consequently, the aim here was to use an ex‐situ experiment to investigate the impact of sand content on egg survival and timing of larval emergence of the surface‐spawning cyprinid European barbel Barbus barbus. Thirty incubator boxes within a recirculating system were filled with one of five experimental sediment mixtures (0%–40% sand by mass) that each contained 300 fertilised eggs at a depth of 50 mm. Emerged, free‐swimming larvae were captured and counted daily to assess grain‐size effects on larval survival and emergence. Specifically, total proportion of emerged larvae, cumulative daily proportion of emerged larvae and time required to reach 50% emergence were measured during the study. Whilst the proportion of sand in the sediments did not have a significant impact on egg‐to‐emergence survival (mean survival per treatment 75%–79%), it significantly affected the timing of larval emergence to the water column; early emergence was detected in treatments with elevated sand content (on average, 50% emergence after 12–13 days versus 19 days in the control). Similar to findings from salmonid studies, these results suggest high sand content in spawning gravels can influence timing of larval emergence and potentially cyprinid lithophilic fish survival.     

The importance of individual behaviour for successful settlement of juvenile plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.): a modelling and field study in the eastern Irish Sea

To study the transport of plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.) eggs and larvae in the eastern Irish Sea, we constructed a 3D‐baroclinic physical model and coupled it to a particle‐tracking scheme that allowed aspects of larval behaviour to be simulated. Starting positions for eggs were based upon data from a series of ichthyoplankton surveys and final positions were compared with results of settled plaice distributions from two beam trawl surveys conducted on beaches around the eastern Irish Sea. If simulated larval behaviour was limited to passive drift or horizontal swimming, the particles diffused away from the spawning areas but failed to reach nursery grounds in significant numbers (85–90% remaining offshore). In contrast, switching on circatidal vertical swimming significantly increased the numbers of larvae reaching the coast (only 23–30% remained offshore). Particles tended to accumulate in bays and estuaries and this pattern compared well with the distribution of settled plaice from the field surveys. Studies in the southern North Sea (where spawning and nursery grounds are widely separated) have also demonstrated the importance of selective tidal stream transport for successful recruitment of settling plaice to nursery grounds. Although our understanding of the ontogeny of this behaviour is still poor, the model results presented suggest that this aspect of behaviour is a key factor influencing plaice settlement success.     

Spawning of the broad-finned Galaxias, Galaxias brevipinnis Günther (Pisces: Galaxiidae) in coastal streams of southeastern Australia

Abstract— The broad-finned galaxias, Galaxias brevipinnis , spawned during high flows in mid autumn. Spawning took place over inundated riparian areas where eggs were laid amongst substrate, mainly in the interstices of cobbles and pebbles. Between subsequent high flows, eggs were out of water for days or weeks, lying up to 7 m from the water's edge. When exposed, eggs and streamside substrate remained damp, shaded by surrounding forest. Hatching would only occur when eggs were inundated by a subsequent flood. In the field, most eggs had hatched within 30 days of the spawning period, but some remained unhatched for up to 60 days. In the laboratory, eggs remained unhatched for up to 57 days under moist conditions but out of water, and up to 120 days when kept in water. However those kept under drier conditions died. It would appear that riparian cover may be important in providing shaded and moist conditions for the survival of eggs in the wild. Evidence of some adult mortality following spawning was noted. Newly hatched larvae were carried to sea during high flows. Predation on eggs by both adult G. brevipinnis and introduced brown trout Salmo trutta Linnaeus was found to occur.     

Egg drift and hatching success in European river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis: is egg deposition in gravel vital to spawning success?

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赣江下游丰城江段鱼类早期资源现状调查

对赣江鱼类早期资源的调查,可为赣江鱼类资源保护以及水利工程生态调度提供科学依据.2017年5-7月,在赣江丰城段使用圆锥网采集鱼卵和弶网采集仔鱼,对鱼类早期资源种类组成、产卵规模和产卵场进行分析.结果显示,调查期间共采集鱼卵11215粒,仔鱼12645尾,隶属于4目、8科、36种,其中产漂流性卵鱼类24种.估算调查期间通过丰城段卵苗径流量为66.66×１０^８粒(尾),其中鱼卵径流量63.84×10^8 粒,鱼苗径流量2.82×10^8 尾;“四大家鱼”卵苗径流量为0.11×10^8 粒(尾),其中鱼卵径流量0.07×10^8 粒,鱼苗径流量0.04×10^8 尾.调查期间出现3次产卵高峰,集中在6 月上、中旬.各类群鱼卵数量呈现出不同的时间动态,银鮈(Squalidusargentatus)产卵高峰期主要出现在5月,银鲴(Xenocyprisargentea)、鳊(Parabramispekinensis)、赤眼鳟(Squaliobarbuscurriculus)以及“四大家鱼”则主要出现在6月.研究表明,峡江水利枢纽运行后,邻近峡江水利枢纽的巴邱“四大家鱼”产卵场消失,但其下游的仁和、新干产卵场保存较完整,在离坝较远的大洋洲镇江段新调查到一处“四大家鱼”产卵场.建议开展生态调度及增殖放流活动,以保护赣江鱼类资源.     

Modelling potential spawning habitat of sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) in the Bay of Biscay

Large amplitude variations in recruitment of small pelagic fish result from interactions between a fluctuating environment and population dynamics processes such as spawning. The spatial extent and location of spawning, which is critical to the fate of eggs and larvae, can vary strongly from year to year, as a result of changing population structure and environmental conditions. Spawning habitat can be divided into ‘potential spawning habitat’, defined as habitat where the hydrographic conditions are suitable for spawning, ‘realized spawning habitat’, defined as habitat where spawning actually occurs, and ‘successful spawning habitat’, defined as habitat from where successful recruitment has resulted. Using biological data collected during the period 2000–2004, as well as hydrographic data, we investigate the role of environmental parameters in controlling the potential spawning habitat of anchovy and sardine in the Bay of Biscay. Anchovy potential spawning habitat appears to be primarily related to bottom temperature followed by surface temperature and mixed‐layer depth, whilst surface and bottom salinity appear to play a lesser role. The possible influence of hydrographic factors on the spawning habitat of sardine seems less clear than for anchovy. Modelled relationships between anchovy and sardine spawning are used to predict potential spawning habitat from hydrodynamical simulations. The results show that the seasonal patterns in spawning are well reproduced by the model, indicating that hydrographic changes may explain a large fraction of spawning spatial dynamics. Such models may prove useful in the context of forecasting potential impacts of future environmental changes on sardine and anchovy reproductive strategy in the north‐east Atlantic.     

Modelling the effect of buoyancy on the transport of anchovy (Engraulis capensis) eggs from spawning to nursery grounds in the southern Benguela: an IBM approach

An individual‐based model (IBM) was used to investigate the effects of physical and biological variables on the transport via a jet current of anchovy (Engraulis capensis) eggs from spawning to the nursery grounds in the southern Benguela ecosystem. As transport of eggs and early larvae is considered to be one of the major factors impacting on anchovy recruitment success, this approach may be useful to understand further the recruitment variability in this economically and ecologically important species. By coupling the IBM to a 3D hydrodynamic model of the region called Plume, and by varying parameters such as the spatial and temporal location of spawning, particle buoyancy, and the depth range over which particles were released, we could assess the influences of these parameters on transport success. A sensitivity analysis using a General Linear Model identified the primary determinants of transport success in the various experimental simulations, and model outputs were examined and compared with patterns observed in field studies. Model outputs compared well with observed patterns of vertical and horizontal egg distribution. Particle buoyancy and area of particle release were the major single determinants of transport success, with an egg density of 1.025 g cm^?3 maximizing average particle transport success and the western Agulhas Bank being the most successful spawning area. This IBM may be useful as a generic prototype for other upwelling ecosystems.     

Predation by invasive signal crayfish on early life stages of European barbel may be limited

1. To determine whether or not signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus and native white‐clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes prey on European barbel Barbus barbus eggs, interstitial free‐embryos and emergent larvae, experiments were undertaken in salmonid (substratum) incubators (six treatments, four controls) fitted with video recorders.
2. No corpses or remains of emergent barbel larvae or eggs, or parts thereof, were observed in any of the incubators containing buried eggs, and no emergent larvae showed any sign of attack. However, video evidence of a signal crayfish catching and consuming a barbel larva was obtained.
3. There were no statistically significant differences between white‐clawed and signal crayfish either in carapace length or weight at the beginning and end of the experiments. The conservation implications of these results are discussed.

     

长江中游监利江段鱼类早期资源及生态调度对鱼类繁殖的影响

为了解三峡水库开展试验性生态调度后长江中游监利江段鱼类早期资源现状，本研究于2018年、2019年的5—7月对该江段卵苗种类组成、资源量、产卵场及生态水文指标开展了调查，共鉴定出鱼类7目14科54种（属），其中产漂流性卵鱼类26种。仔鱼组成以贝氏䱗（）（占15.2%）、沙鳅属（粒、324.2×10⁸尾；2019年分别为35.9×10⁸粒、1140.7×10⁸尾。监利江段成为鳊（）等鱼类的重要产卵场。生态调度对监利江段贝氏䱗、鳊、银鮈等鱼类的自然繁殖有明显促进作用。产卵量与涨水持续时间、流量累积涨幅呈正相关。监利江段涨水持续时间4 d及以上，流量累积涨幅3500 m³/s及以上时，产卵量可占当年调查期间鱼卵总规模的8.4%以上。建议继续开展并优化生态调度，加强对监利江段鱼类早期资源的基础研究。     

Composition and location of simulated lake-shore redds influence incubation success in kokanee, Oncorhynchus nerka

Abstract  Methods for improving spawning habitat for lakeshore spawning kokanee, Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum), were explored by quantifying incubation success of embryos exposed to three substrate treatments in Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, USA. Substrate treatments included no modification that used existing gravels in the lake (EXISTING), a cleaned substrate treatment where existing gravels were sifted in the water column to remove silt (CLEANED) and the addition of new, silt-free gravel (ADDED). Incubation success was evaluated using Whitlock–Vibert incubation boxes buried within each substrate treatment that contained recently fertilised embryos. Upon retrieval, live and dead sac fry and eyed eggs were enumerated to determine incubation success (sac fry and eyed eggs × 100/number of fertilised embryos). Incubation success varied significantly among locations and redd treatments. In general, incubation success among ADDED redds (0.0–13.0%) was significantly lower than that for EXISTING (1.4–61.0%) and CLEANED (0.4–62.5%) redds. Adding new gravel to spawning areas changed the morphometry of the gravel-water interface and probably exposed embryos to disturbance from wave action and reduced embryo survival. Moreover, efforts to improve spawning habitat for lakeshore spawning kokanee should consider water depth and location (e.g. protected shorelines) as important variables. Adding clean gravel to existing spawning areas may provide little benefit if water depth or lake-bottom morphometry are altered.     

Egg and larval quality,and egg fatty acid composition of Eurasian perch breeders (Perca fluviatilis) fed different dietary DHA/EPA/AA ratios

In Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis), the variability in spawning quality is a major limiting factor for successful production, especially when breeders are fed with an artificial diet. The influence of the dietary DHA/EPA/AA ratio on the egg and larval quality and on the fatty acid and lipid class composition of eggs has been investigated in perch broodstock. Two experimental diets (16% lipids) with two different DHA/EPA/AA ratios, D1 (3/2/2) and D2 (23/9/1), were compared with a natural diet consisting of cultured carp juveniles, CC (10/10/1) and with a commercial diet for salmonids, CDS (14/16/1). Percentages of fertilization and hatching were comparable between fish fed D1, D2 and CC, with the highest hatching rate observed for D1 (63.5 ± 3.8%). These diets supported better values than the CDS. Larval survival and TL50 observed after osmotic stress were higher for the D1 group, followed by larvae produced by fish fed D2 and CC. Larvae from fish fed D1, D2 and CC were significantly more robust than larvae from the CDS group. Differences were observed regarding the fatty acid (FA) profile in the eggs, which was related to the dietary FA composition. The results indicate that a ratio of 3/2/2 seemed to be effective for obtaining eggs and larvae of good quality.     

Influence of larval transport and temperature on recruitment dynamics of North Sea cod (Gadus morhua) across spatial scales of observation

The survival of fish eggs and larvae, and therefore recruitment success, can be critically affected by transport in ocean currents. Combining a model of early‐life stage dispersal with statistical stock–recruitment models, we investigated the role of larval transport for recruitment variability across spatial scales for the population complex of North Sea cod (Gadus morhua). By using a coupled physical–biological model, we estimated the egg and larval transport over a 44‐year period. The oceanographic component of the model, capable of capturing the interannual variability of temperature and ocean current patterns, was coupled to the biological component, an individual‐based model (IBM) that simulated the cod eggs and larvae development and mortality. This study proposes a novel method to account for larval transport and success in stock–recruitment models: weighting the spawning stock biomass by retention rate and, in the case of multiple populations, their connectivity. Our method provides an estimate of the stock biomass contributing to recruitment and the effect of larval transport on recruitment variability. Our results indicate an effect, albeit small, in some populations at the local level. Including transport anomaly as an environmental covariate in traditional stock–recruitment models in turn captures recruitment variability at larger scales. Our study aims to quantify the role of larval transport for recruitment across spatial scales, and disentangle the roles of temperature and larval transport on effective connectivity between populations, thus informing about the potential impacts of climate change on the cod population structure in the North Sea.     

Processes controlling retention of spring‐spawned Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the western Gulf of Maine and their relationship to an index of recruitment success

Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, harvested in US waters are currently managed as a Gulf of Maine stock and as a stock comprising Georges Bank and southern New England populations. Over the past two and a half decades, success of age‐1 recruitment to the Gulf of Maine stock has varied by more than an order of magnitude. To investigate the hypothesis that this variation is related to variation in the transport of larval cod to nursery areas, we carried out model simulations of the movement of planktonic eggs and larvae spawned within the western Gulf of Maine during spring spawning events of 1995–2005. Results indicate that the retention of spring‐spawned cod, and their transport to areas suitable for early stage juvenile development, is strongly dependent on local wind conditions. Larval cod retention is favored during times of downwelling‐favorable winds and is least likely during times of upwelling‐favorable winds, during which buoyant eggs and early stage larvae tend to be advected offshore to the Western Maine Coastal Current and subsequently carried out of the Gulf of Maine. Model results also indicate that diel vertical migration of later stage larvae enhances the likelihood of retention within the western Gulf of Maine. Consistent with model results is a strong correlation between age‐1 recruitment success to the Gulf of Maine cod stock and the mean northward wind velocity measured in Massachusetts Bay during May. Based on these findings, we propose a wind index for strong recruitment success of age‐1 cod to the Gulf of Maine stock.     

基于鱼卵仔鱼数据的东海中南部日本鲭产卵场分析

利用2016年4—5月在东海中南部海域的调查数据,对该海域日本鲭(Scomber japonicus)鱼卵仔鱼的分布特征进行了研究,并对产卵场的划分展开讨论及提出保护措施和管理建议。结果显示:4月,日本鲭鱼卵仔鱼主要出现在台湾海峡和东海南部海域,出现率均大于25%,但仔鱼在东海南部外海的出现率和丰度均较低,分别为5.00%和0.01个·100m-3。5月,日本鲭鱼卵仔鱼在台湾海峡的出现率和丰度均显著降低,分别下降至5.88%和0.22个·100m^-3;东海南部外海日本鲭鱼卵仔鱼的出现率和丰度则均显著升高,分别升至50%和36.48个·100m^-3,其中鱼卵集中出现在南部外海,出现率和丰度分别达到了40%和36.46个·100m^-3;东海中部外海从5月开始出现日本鲭鱼卵和仔鱼。结合历史资料,可以判断东海中南部日本鲭产卵场主要有台湾海峡、东海中南部近海、东海南部外海、东海中部外海等4个。日本鲭鱼卵丰度与表层水温呈显著相关关系(R=0.37,P<0.05),与表层盐度无显著相关关系(P>0.05);仔鱼丰度与表层水温及表层盐度均无显著相关关系(P>0.05)。结果表明,水温对日本鲭的产卵活动影响较大,随着水温的逐步升高,性腺发育速度加快,开始产卵的亲体数量也大量增加,这从鱼卵仔鱼的数量大量增加得以体现;而盐度变化对日本鲭的产卵活动影响相对较小。针对日本鲭不同的产卵场,建议制定差异化的繁殖亲体和幼鱼保护措施。     

桑沟湾春季有色溶解有机物(CDOM)吸收光谱特性及空间分布特征

有色溶解有机物(CDOM)是水生态系统中碳的重要来源,其光学性质可示踪海水中溶解有机物组分的动态信息。利用紫外可见吸收光谱手段,分区域测定了桑沟湾春季水体及表层沉积物间隙水中CDOM的吸收光谱特征,探讨了CDOM的来源组成、空间分布特征、迁移转化过程及其与养殖活动的关系。结果表明,(1)波长为355_的吸收系数(a(355))范围为0.23~9.09 /m,不同水层空间分布差异显著,表层和底层均从近岸区向贝藻区逐渐降低,之后在海带区升高后向外海逐渐降低；海带区从表层向底层先降低后升高,高密度、规模化的海带养殖释放了大量的CDOM,各区域沉积物间隙水a(355)是其表中底之和的1.3~2.5倍,CDOM在沉积物间隙水中富集并逐渐累积。(2)光谱斜率(S_275-295)范围为0.013~0.036,外海区和海带区S_275-295均值显著高于其他各区,海带区和外海区CDOM中海源有机质占主要成分,而近岸区以陆源有机质为主；近岸区CDOM中的腐殖酸类物质含量从表层到底层逐渐降低,沉积物中积累的富里酸类物质含量较高,海带区和外海区呈相反趋势。(3)比紫外吸光度(SUVA₂₅₄)范围为4.60~14.10 L/(mg.m),贝类区、贝藻区和藻类区SUVA₂₅₄均呈现出从表层到底层逐渐增大的趋势,CDOM的芳香性逐渐增强并在沉积物间隙水中达到最大；海带区和外海区沉积物间隙水中的SUVA₂₅₄显著高于其他各区,表明海带区的规模化养殖活动向养殖海区及邻近海域贡献了较多的惰性溶解有机物,暗示着海带养殖活动有较强的碳汇效应并通过海流作用向外海输送。     

Relative importance of gulf and shelf waters for spawning and recruitment of Australian anchovy, Engraulis australis, in South Australia

Gonosomatic indices and egg and larval densities observed from 1986 to 2001 suggest that the peak spawning season of the Australian anchovy (Engraulis australis) in South Australia occurs during January to March (summer and autumn). This coincides with the spawning season of sardine (Sardinops sagax) and the period when productivity in shelf waters is enhanced by upwelling. Anchovy eggs were abundant throughout gulf and shelf waters, but the highest densities occurred in the northern parts of Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent where sea surface temperatures (SST) were 24–26°C. In contrast, larvae >10 mm total length (TL) were found mainly in shelf waters near upwelling zones where SSTs were relatively low (<20°C) and levels of chlorophyll a (chl a) relatively high. Larvae >15 mm TL were collected only from shelf waters near upwelling zones. The high levels of larval abundance in the upwelling zones may reflect higher levels of recruitment to later stages in these areas compared with the gulfs. The sardine spawns mainly in shelf waters; few eggs and no larvae were collected from the northern gulfs. The abundance of anchovy eggs and larvae in shelf waters increased when sardine abundance was reduced by large‐scale mortality events, and decreased as the sardine numbers subsequently recovered. We hypothesize that the upwelling zones provide optimal conditions for the survival of larval anchovy in South Australia, but that anchovy can only utilize these zones effectively when the sardine population is low. At other times, northern gulf waters of South Australia may provide a refuge for the anchovy that the sardine cannot utilize.     

Effect of riverbed conditions on survival of planted eyed eggs in chum salmon <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus keta</Emphasis>

Wild stocks of chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta are supplemented by hatchery fry enhancement programs in northern Honshu, Japan. To maintain these programs, there is a need to reduce expenses and labor. Eyed egg planting is more cost effective than hatchery production of fry. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of environmental conditions on survival of chum salmon eyed eggs planted using Whitlock–Vibert boxes. We measured the percent cumulative weight of fine sediments, Fredle index (FI) as a measure of permeability, vertical hydraulic gradient, water depth (WD), and flow velocity at planting locations. Egg-to-fry survival averaged 92.7% (range: 57.2–100%) in 2013 (N = 19) and 71.5% (range: 6.4–100%) in 2014 (N = 23). Survival was significantly positively correlated with FI and flow velocity, negatively associated with percent cumulative weight of fine sediments and WD. Vertical hydraulic gradient had no effect on survival. Our results suggest that a higher FI (i.e., low amount of fine material and larger particle size), higher flow velocity, and shallower WD reduce the mortality of planted chum salmon eyed eggs. This is likely a result of increased permeability in the substrate and restriction of fine sediment intrusion into the incubation zone.