Paternal reproductive strategy influences metabolic capacities and muscle development of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) embryos

Male Atlantic salmon follow a conditional strategy, becoming either "combatants" that undertake a seaward migration and spend at least a year at sea or "sneakers" that remain in freshwater and mature as parr. A variety of physiological indices showed significant but small differences between the offspring of males that use these two reproductive tactics. Offspring fathered by anadromous male Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) showed greater muscular development and muscle metabolic capacities but lower spontaneous movements than those fathered by mature male parr. At hatch and at maximum attainable wet weight (MAWW), offspring fathered by anadromous males had higher activities of mitochondrial (cytochrome C oxidase and citrate synthase) and glycolytic (lactate dehydrogenase LDH]) enzymes than progeny of mature male parr. Enzymatic profiles of progeny of anadromous fathers also suggested greater nitrogen excretion capacity (glutamate dehydrogenase) and increased muscular development (creatine kinase and LDH) than in the progeny of mature parr. At MAWW, juveniles fathered by mature parr made considerably more spontaneous movements, presumably increasing their energy expenditures. For juveniles fathered by anadromous males, total cross-sectional areas of white and red muscle at hatch were higher due to the greater number of large-diameter fibers. We suggest that the slightly lower metabolic capacities and muscular development of alevins fathered by mature parr could reflect differences in energy partitioning during their dependence on vitellus. Greater spontaneous movements of offspring of mature male parr could favor feeding and growth after the resorption of the vitellus.