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Growth and morphological development of laboratory-reared larval and juvenile climbing perch Anabas testudineus

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Abstract

Morphological development, including fin and labyrinth organ, body proportions and pigmentation, in laboratory-reared larval and juvenile climbing perch Anabas testudineus was described and behavioral features under rearing condition were observed. Body lengths (BL) of larvae and juveniles were 1.9 ± 0.1 (mean ± SD) mm just after hatching (day-0), 8.7 ± 1.3 mm on day-19, reaching 18.4 ± 2.1 mm on day-35 after hatching. Aggregate fin ray numbers attained full complements in juveniles larger than 8.3 mm BL. Preflexion larvae started feeding on day-2 following formation of the upper and lower jaws, the yolk being completely absorbed by day-7 after hatching. Teeth appeared in flexion larvae larger than 5 mm BL on day-6, with cannibalism starting shortly after and continuing with further growth. Melanophores on the body increased with growth, a large dark spot developing on the lateral midline around caudal margin of the body in the postflexion and juvenile stages. The labyrinth organ differentiated in postflexion larvae larger than 7.2 mm BL on day-16, with air-breathing starting at the same time. Body proportions attained constant in postflexion larvae larger than 7.0 mm BL, and habitat of fish shifted from bottom to mid-layer. With the exception of fin ray numbers, the above morphological developments corresponded to behavioral shifts that occurred in the postflexion stage (ca. 7 mm BL), their subsequent continuity illustrating that the species possessed most juvenile-equivalent functions from ca. 7 mm BL.

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Acknowledgments

We express our sincere gratitude to K. Sano, Laboratory of Global Fisheries Science, University of Tokyo, and the staff of the Aquaculture Improvement and Extension Project, Japan International Cooperation Agency, for their kind assistance with broodstock collection and to L. Khamsivilay, Director of the Living Aquatic Resources Research Center, Laos, for his logistical support. Our thanks also go to G. Hardy for his polite and constructive English revision.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fisheries Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1-1 Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8686, Japan

    Shinsuke Morioka, Sayaka Ito & Shoji Kitamura

  2. Aquaculture Unit, Living Aquatic Resource Research Center, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, Khounta Village, Sikhotabong District, Vientiane, Lao PDR

    Bounsong Vongvichith

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  1. Shinsuke Morioka
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  2. Sayaka Ito
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  4. Bounsong Vongvichith
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Correspondence to Shinsuke Morioka.

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Morioka, S., Ito, S., Kitamura, S. et al. Growth and morphological development of laboratory-reared larval and juvenile climbing perch Anabas testudineus . Ichthyol Res 56, 162–171 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-008-0081-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-008-0081-y

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