| FishBase |
Larvae Information Summary for
Lates niloticus
| Main Ref: | Hopson, A.J. 1967 | |||
Yolk-sac larvae
| max | min | mod | Ref. | |
| Length at birth (mm) | 1.2 | |||
| Preanal L. % TL |
| Place of development | planktonic | |||
| Larval area | to be filled | |||
| Yolk-sac | spherical | Ref: | ||
| Yolk | Oil globules | one oil globuleanterior | ||
| Larva comma-shaped, floating vertically with tail curved downward and forward. Yolk sac large. Oil globule large and dome-like. Eyes visible at 2.3 mm TL. Eyes and mouth functional at 3.3 mm TL. Yolk sac lost at 4.5 mm TL. | ||||
Post larvae
| Striking feature | ||||
| Striking shape lateral | dorsal | |||
| Striking feature | ||||
| Shape of gut | ||||
| Gas bladder early | late | |||
| Spinal armature early | late | |||
| Post-larvae with mottled juvenile pigmentation, clearly recognizable as @Lates@ at 12.5 mm TL.. Apparently migrates offshore: 8-14 mm TL larvae caught regularly in open water far from sheltered spawning areas. Soon quits open water and colonizes sub-littoral beds of @Potamogeton@ and @Vallisneria@. Solitary from 20-25 mm to over 150 mm, feeding chiefly on small fish, insects and prawns. | ||||
| L 1st feeding | Ref. | Months of presence of larvae | ||||
| max | 3.3 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | |
| min | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | ||
| mod | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||
| Water parameters Metric characters |
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