Morphological development and growth of
laboratory-reared slime flounder Microstomus achne
M. Aritaki, M. Tanaka-2003
Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi, 69(4): 602-610
(from ISI Current Contents)
Abstract:
The morphological development and growth of slime flounder, Microstomus
achne, from newly hatched larva to early juvenile were described for
laboratory-reared specimens. The duration of the pelagic larval period was
about 85 days after hatching, and that of the metamorphic phase was 40 days
under mean water temperature 13.9 (9.2-21.1) degreesC. The maximum size of
metamorphic larvae was about 25 mm TL, having deep-body form, protruded eyes
and otic spines. These diagnostic characteristics appeared early at the
metamorphic. phase and disappeared at settlement and/or completion of
metamorphosis, indicating that these morphological characters are adaptive
to pelagiclife. The larvae hatched at a much larger size, and in a more
advanced developmental stage, than those of other coastal flatfish species.
They had a long metamorphic phase, and the eye migration was not
synchronized with the habitat shift from planktonic to benthic. These
observations revealed that slime flounder has a unique early ontogeny
characterized by specialized morpho-ecological features for the long
duration of its pelagic life stages.
(Japan Sea Farming Assoc., Miyako Stn., Miyako Iwate
0270097, Japan, e-mail: masato-aritaki@jasfa.or.jp)