Effects of reduced oxygen level on the mortality and hatching rate of Chondrostoma nasus embryos

Exposure of embryos of Chondrostoma nasus to a strongly reduced oxygen content (about 10% of air saturation) enhanced mortality and depressed hatching success. Viable larvae hatched only from the controls and from the group exposed to reduced oxygen during the earliest embryogenesis (from fertilization to gastrula). In the groups exposed from gastrula to eyed stage and from eyed stage to hatching, a high percentage of fish hatched, but all were deformed and almost all died during the following 1–5 days. Hatching period was prolonged in the groups exposed to reduced oxygen content. At a spawning area C. nasus had deposited a large portion of eggs in areas of reduced oxygen content. On the other hand, eggs placed at the substratum surface were exposed to high predation pressure from Barbus barbus, Lota lota and ducks ( Anas platyrhynchos ). The trade-off between predation pressure at the substratum surface and reduced oxygen conditions in the interstices resulted in a narrow space for successful development of embryos of this endangered rheophilic fish species under natural conditions.