| FishBase |
Larvae Information Summary for
Esox niger
| Main Ref: | Jones, P.W., F.D. Martin and J.D. Hardy Jr. 1978 | |||
Yolk-sac larvae
| max | min | mod | Ref. | |
| Length at birth (mm) | 7.9 | 5 | 7.2 | 4639 |
| Preanal L. % TL |
| Place of development | in close association with substrate | |||
| Larval area | Mid-Atlantic Bight | |||
| Yolk-sac | ovoid pigmented | Ref: | ||
| Yolk | Oil globules | |||
| Rows on tail | ventral row | |||
| Other melanophores on tail | ||||
| Melanophores on head + trunk | melanophores on head + trunk | |||
| Duration of stage: 6-8 days. Pre-anal myomeres 30-34 by 3rd day. Head slightly deflected over yolk at hatching, straightened by 5th day at about 10.0 mm. Yolk more or less oval at hatching, 1/2 absorbed by 3rd day, or by 8.5 mm. Mouth open by about 8.0 mm. Gas bladder visible on 5th day at about 10 mm. Incipient rays in caudal by 9.0-10.0 mm. Pectoral buds present at hatching, flattened by 2nd day or about 8.0 mm, fan-shaped and with incipient rays by 3rd day or 9.1 mm. Notochord granular at 9.0 mm. Pigmentation: Newly hatched live specimens with dorsal finfold and body chartreuse; dark brown chromatophores scattered over head, dorsolateral region of yolk, along gut, and beneath tail. Pigment increased on yolk and head by 2nd day; extended to ventral region of yolk and increased caudally by 3rd day; eye black at about 10.0 mm. | ||||
Post larvae
| Striking feature | none | |||
| Striking shape lateral | normal (not striking) | dorsal | tadpole-like | |
| Striking feature | none | |||
| Shape of gut | ||||
| Gas bladder early | visible | late | ||
| Spinal armature early | no spines | late | no spines | |
| Pigmentation early | ||||
| Rows on tail | no rows | |||
| Other melanophores on tail | no other melanophores | |||
| Melanophores on head + trunk | melanophores on head | |||
| Rows on tail | no rows | |||
| Other melanophores on tail | no other melanophores | |||
| Melanophores on head + trunk | melanophores on head | |||
| Pectorals | normal without melanophores | |||
| Pelvics | normal (i.e. small or absent) without melanophores | |||
| Snout becoming elongate at beginning of stage; lower jaw definietely longer than upper; eye extended into dorsal profile by 7th day or at about 10-11 mm; choroid fissure visible and auditory vesicles elongate at 11.5 mm. Anlage of dorsal visible at about 14 mm and that of anal at about 10-11.8 mm; pectoral with incipient rays at 11.5 mm; urostyle straight to at least about 14 mm. Pigmentation: A conspicuous band of pigment through eye at about 14 mm. | ||||
Meristic characters
| max | min | mod | Ref. | |
| Total number of myomeres | 54 | 53 | 4639 |
| L 1st feeding | Ref. | Months of presence of larvae | ||||
| max | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | ||
| min | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | ||
| mod | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||
| Water parameters Metric characters |
| Back to Search |