Abstract

Mackerel eggs were collected in Biscay and the Western Approaches during 1977, 1980, 1983 and 1986 during ICES surveys undertaken by England, Scotland, the Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany. The eggs were assigned to a stage, counted, the numbers per day calculated and survivorship curves plotted. Overall egg mortality rates for each year were significantly different and in the range 0.045–0.162 day −1 , with two of the years showing a temperature-related daily egg mortality rate. No density-dependent mortality was evident. There was no clear relationship between daily egg mortality rate and mackerel year-class strength or spawning stock biomass.

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