Effects of egg size differences on juvenile weight between and within lots in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

Effects of egg size on weight and growth of juvenile rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss were investigated within and between lots, using a genetic variant with "golden" phenotype as a marker. Analysis of between-lots variation corroborated earlier findings that egg weight influence on the juvenile body weight disappears after a few months of life. In contrast, within-lot effects of egg size were greater and persisted over a longer time. Egg size did not affect subsequent survival or specific growth of the juvenile trout. The genetic marker caused some detrimental pleiotropic effects on eyed egg yield and juvenile body weight, but not on juvenile survival or specific growth.