Larval Development of the Japanese Whiting, Sillago japonica

Abstract

Larval development of laboratory reared Japanese whiting, Sillago japonica, was described according to morphological and histological observations of the development of organ systems. The development of larvae from hatching to the early phase of the juvenile period was classified into ten stages. These ten stages were grouped into three phases that were characterized by the marked development of certain organ systems: Phase I-the digestive organs, Phase II-the locomotor and respiratory organs, and Phase III-other morphological features that are characteristic of adult fish. These phases corre-sponded to yolk-sac larval stage, larval stage and transformation stage, respectively. Dry weights and six specified linear dimensions of the larvae were measured throughout the larval period. A power function best described the relationship between the total length and the dry weight from day 5 to day 27. This detailed serial description of the stages of larval development should be useful for future experimental studies on the Japanese whiting.