Larval dispersal is a crucial factor for fish recruitment. For fishes with relatively small-bodied larvae, drift has the potential to play a more important role than active habitat selection in determining larval dispersal; therefore, we expect small-bodied fish larvae to be poorly associated with habitat characteristics. To test this hypothesis, we used as model yellow perch (Perca flavescens)...

A simple and relatively cheap locally-assembled light trap was used to sample pre-settlement fish larvae in the Malindi Marine Park, Kenya, for two years. The trap was assembled locally using a water dispenser bottle, plastic bottle necks, buckets, 12V rechargeable alkaline batteries and a diver’s dry box. The light unit consisted of a 12 V rechargeable alkaline Jacob’s battery that powered a 1...

Fish larvae in aquaculture have high mortality rates due to pathogenic bacteria, especially the Vibrio species, and ineffective prophylactic strategies. Vaccination is not feasible in larvae and antibiotics have reduced efficacy against multidrug resistant bacteria. A novel approach to controlling Vibrio infections in aquaculture is needed. The potential of phage therapy to combat vibriosis in ...

The effect of water temperature during the development of fish larvae on sex differentiation is well known, but not so well known is the impact of the daily thermocycles. Our aim was to investigate the effect of early exposure of Senegal sole larvae to different temperature cycles on gonad development, sex ratio, and sex steroid (11-ketotestosterone (11-KT); estradiol (E(2) ); and testosterone,...

Copepods infected with Dracunculus medinensis larvae collected from infected dogs in Chad were fed to 2 species of fish and tadpoles. Although they readily ingested copepods, neither species of fish, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) nor fathead minnow (Pimephalis promelas), were found to harbor Dracunculus larvae when examined 2-3 weeks later. Tadpoles ingested copepods much more slowly; ho...

The larval development of the nematode Contracaecum rudolphii (Rudolphi, 1819), a common parasite of the proventriculus of cormorants, was experimentally studied. Within the eggs cultivated in freshwater under laboratory temperatures of 20-22 degrees C, the developing larva undergoes two moults on days 4-5, attaining the third larval stage. Most of the ensheathed third-stage larvae, 291-457 mic...

The relationship between fish larvae and their zooplanktonic prey has not been fully explored for late-stage larvae of coral-reef fish in lagoonal environments. However, compared to most temperate taxa, these larvae are characterized by strong sensory and swimming abilities, which may influence their feeding behaviour in the water column. The present study aims to determine the relative importa...

Marine fish larvae undergo major morphological and cellular changes during the first month of life. The ontogeny of the gastrointestinal tract combines these two aspects of the larval development and is very interesting in that the timing of functional changes appears genetically hard-wired. The goal of this paper is to give an overview of the gastrointestinal development process in marine fish...

Relative growth intensity of various longitudinally measured body segments in larvae of several species of fishes was distributed across the body in a continuous, U-shaped gradient. Juveniles lacked a simple pattern ofgrowth but appeared to grow nearly isometrically. Body depth exhibited a shallow, U-shaped gradient while body width lacked a discernible pattern. Most intense growth, in three or...