Abstract
Pelagic eggs of the scaled sardine Harengula pensacolae (Goode and Bean), have been hatched and reared in the laboratory for the first time. Larvae were reared in two 75 l aquaria under constant illumination, at an average temperature of 26.2°C. Zooplankton collected in a 35 μ mesh net was fed to the newly hatched larvae, and the diet was supplemented later with Artemia salina nauplii and a pelleted food. Larvae hatched at 4 mm TL (total length), and metamorphosed about 25 days later at 25 to 30 mm TL. Survivors averaged 76 mm TL 100 days after hatching. Of the 500 incubated eggs, 2.8% survived until 20 days, after which no significant natural mortality occurred. Sources of natural mortality included starvation, a copepod parasite (Caligus sp.), and injuries from contact with the sides of the tank. Larvae began feeding at 4.5 mm TL on copepod nauplii averaging 62 μ in body width. Scaled sardines were photopositive throughout the larval stage.
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Communicated by G. L. Voss, Miami
Contribution No. 149, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Tropical Atlantic Biological Laboratory, Miami, Florida 33149, USA.
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Houde, E.D., Palko, B.J. Laboratory rearing of the clupeid fish Harengula pensacolae from fertilized eggs. Marine Biology 5, 354–358 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346902
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346902