Yolk resorption, onset of feeding and survival potential of larvae of three tropical marine fish species reared in the hatchery

This paper provides basic early life-history information on milkfish (Chanos chanos ), seabass (Lates calcarifer ) and rabbitfish (Siganus guttatus ) which may explain in part the observed differences in their survival performance in the hatchery. Egg size larval size, amount of yolk and oil reserves and mouth size are all greater in milkfish than in seabass, and greater in the latter than in rabbitfish. During the first 24 h after hatching, rabbitfish larvae grow much faster than milkfish and seabass larvae at similar ambient temperatures (range 26 degree -30 degree C, mean about 28 degree C). The eyes become fully pigmented and the mouths open earlier in seabass and rabbitfish (32-36 h from hatching) than in milkfish (54H). Seabass larvae learn to feed to earliest. Yolk is completely resorbed at 120 h from hatching in milkfish, and yolk plus oil at 120 h in seabass and 72 h in rabbitfish at 26 degree to 30 degree C.