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Early ontogeny of Labeotropbeus Ahl, 1927 (Mbuna, Cichlidae, Lake Malawi), with a discussion on advanced protective styles in fish reproduction and development

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With yolk as a food source, development of Labeotropheus takes place in the buccal pouch of the female until such time as juveniles are formed. Hatching from the vitelline membrane occurs early, after 6 days of incubation, and the eleutheroembryo develops without metamorphic stages directly into a juvenile, forming advanced structures like fins, skeleton and pigments, at a time when a large yolksac is still present. A strong circulatory network on the yolk and anal fin fold, and a yellow carotenoid pigment provide the oxygen supply within the closely packed buccal pouch. A relatively large self-sufficient juvenile, 14% of the adult fish size, is released from the mother's mouth 31 days after fertilization. The evolution of advanced hiding styles in reproductive guilds of fishes is discussed and ends with a speculation that the Latimeria, having had more geological time to refine its hiding style, releases fully developed young, 25 to 30% the size of the adult fish. The advanced style of hiding eggs is accompanied not only with fewer, larger eggs, but also by a successive increase in yolk density in terms of nutrients and respiratory pigments; these in effect determine the size of the released juvenile.

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  1. Department of Zoology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, NIG 2W1

    Eugene K. Balon

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Balon, E.K. Early ontogeny of Labeotropbeus Ahl, 1927 (Mbuna, Cichlidae, Lake Malawi), with a discussion on advanced protective styles in fish reproduction and development. Environ Biol Fish 2, 147–176 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00005370

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