36 
Abstract — Maternal effects on the 
quality of progeny can have direct 
impacts on population productivity. 
Rockfish are viviparous and the oil 
globule size of larvae at parturition 
has been shown to have direct effects 
on time until starvation and growth 
rate. We sampled embryos and prepar- 
turition larvae opportunistically from 
89 gravid quillback rockfish ( Sebastes 
maliger ) in Southeast Alaska. Because 
the developmental stage and sam- 
pling period were correlated with 
oil globule size, they were treated as 
covariates in an analysis of maternal 
age, length, and weight effects on oil 
globule size. Maternal factors were 
related to developmental timing for 
almost all sampling periods, indicat- 
ing that older, longer, and heavier 
females develop embryos earlier than 
younger, shorter, or lighter ones. Oil 
globule diameter and maternal length 
and weight were statistically linked, 
but the relationships may not be bio- 
logically significant. Weight-specific 
fecundity did not increase with mater- 
nal size or age, suggesting that repro- 
ductive output does not increase more 
quickly as fish age and grow. Age or 
size truncation of a rockfish popula- 
tion, in which timing of parturition is 
related to age and size, could result 
in a shorter parturition season. This 
shortening of the parturition season 
could make the population vulner- 
able to fluctuating environmental 
conditions. 
Manuscript submitted 24 March 2011. 
Manuscript accepted 19 September 2011. 
Fish. Bull.: 110:35-45(2012). 
The views and opinions expressed 
or implied in this article are those of the 
author (or authors) and do not necessarily 
reflect the position of the National Marine 
Fisheries Service, NOAA. 
Effects of maternal age and size 
on embryonic energy reserves, 
developmental timing, and fecundity 
in quillback rockfish ( Sebastes maliger ) 
Cara J. Rodgveller (contact author) 
Chris R. Lunsford 
Jeffrey T. Fujioka* 
Email address for contact author: cara.rodgveller@noaa.gov 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
National Marine Fisheries Service 
Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Alaska Biological Laboratory 
17109 Point Lena Loop Rd. 
Juneau, Alaska 99801 
’retired. 
Because fisheries often target older, 
larger fish, population productivity 
may be affected more dramatically by 
fishing than is currently accounted 
for by population models where equal 
reproductive success is assumed for all 
sizes and ages of mature fish (Berkeley 
et al., 2004b; Berkeley, 2006; O’Farrell 
and Botsford, 2006; Spencer et ah, 
2007). Maternal effects on egg and 
larval energy reserves, larval size 
and growth, and fecundity have been 
documented in several taxa of marine 
fishes, including rockfish ( Sebastes 
spp., [Berkeley et ah, 2004a; Sogard 
et ah, 2008; Dick, 2009]), Atlantic 
tomcod ( Microgadus tomcod [e.g., 
Green and Chambers, 2007]), Atlan- 
tic cod (Gadus morhua [e.g., Carr and 
Kaufman, 2009]), and haddock ( Mela - 
nogi'ammus aeglefinus [Hislop, 1988]) 
and can contribute to reproductive suc- 
cess (e.g., Houde, 1987; reviewed in 
Heath, 1992; Bergenius et ah, 2002). 
The assumption that the reproduc- 
tive output and success per unit of 
weight is the same no matter the age 
or size of the fish, as is common in 
many population models, may not be 
the best management practice. 
For some rockfishes, larval energy 
storage, size, and survival are relat- 
ed to maternal age or size. The size 
of the oil globule is used as a proxy 
for energy reserves (e.g., Berkeley 
et ah, 2004a; Sogard et ah, 2008) 
because it is highly correlated to 
total body lipid content in rockfish 
larvae (e.g., black rockfish [Sebastes 
melanops, Berkeley et ah, 2004a]; 
quillback rockfish [Sebastes maliger, 
Sewell and Rodgveller, 2009]). These 
stores are used for sustenance by lar- 
vae when they first enter the marine 
environment. The positive effects 
of maternal age on larval quality 
and parturition date are not consis- 
tent among all species of rockfish. 
For example, in black rockfish lar- 
vae sampled off Oregon, maternal 
age was related to oil globule size 
(Berkeley et ah, 2004a). Larvae from 
older mothers, therefore, may have a 
better chance of survival. This posi- 
tive relationship does not hold true 
for all rockfish. Sogard et ah (2008) 
found significant maternal age ef- 
fects on oil globule size in one out 
of five rockfish species sampled off 
California and found that maternal 
weight and length were significantly 
related to oil globule size for three 
of the five species. Also, maternal 
length or weight was related to de- 
velopment timing for three out of five 
species (i.e., larger females matured 
more quickly than smaller females). 
For those species, depletion of larger 
females would result in a shortened 
parturition season. 
In previous studies, gravid fe- 
males were held in captivity until 
parturition; such a period may af- 
fect embryonic development. Rearing 
