Early larval development of the seabass Lates calcarifer with emphasis on the transition of energy sources

Abstract

The early growth, yolk and oil globule resorption, early morphological and behavioral de-velopment, and initial feeding of hatchery-raised Lates calcarifer were studied. Based on the developmental events and the energy the reby utilized, the early life history of this species can be broken down into the following five phases: 1) rapid early growth due to rapid yolk resorption (from hatching to about 15 hr after hatching (TAH); 2) morphological differentiation and slowgrowth based on energy from yolk (to about 50 h TAH when the yolk is exhausted); 3) slow growth with initiation of feeding and swimming activities, based on energy from oil globule and from exogenous food (to about 110 h TAH); 4) accelerated growth and effective feeding and swimming based on the same two sources of energy as in the preceding stage (up to about 120-140 h TAH when the oil globule is exhausted); and 5) accelerated growth, effective feeding and swimming and further development based solely on exogenous energy (beyond 140 h TAIT).