HOUDE: VITAL RATES, AND ENERGETICS OF MARINE FISH LARVAE 



30 



20 



10 



CD 



E 



^ 20 



O 



o 



PA 



44.9 

 MA 



AL 



MP 



CM 



CM 



SJ 



EM 



PP 



SB 



AR 



AM\ 



!-r 



ss- 



10- 



QOg =2.3553 + 0.22091 



10 



20 



30 



Temperature (°C) 



Figure 6. — Weight-specific oxygen uptake (Qo,) of marine fish larvae 

 in relation to temperature (T). A. Ranges and midpoints of Qo„ and T 

 values. Data, letters designating species and references are from Table 

 7. B. Regression relationship of midpoint Q,,,, on midpoint T. The data 

 point for haddock (i.e., MA) is not included in the i-egression. 



0.50 for marine fish larvae have been reported, 

 e.g., in C. harengus (Checkley 1984; Kiorboe et 

 al. 1987). Kiorboe et al. argued that hemng, and 

 possibly fish larvae in general, may be operating 

 near peak growth and assimilation efficiency, 

 but most published estimates indicate that 

 larvae are no more efficient than juvenile fishes 

 or other fast-growing animals. Boehlert and 

 Yoklavich (1984) obtained assimilation efficien- 

 cies for Pacific herring, C. harengus pallasi, 

 larvae in the range of 40-60% . This implies that 

 gross growth efficiency was considerably lower, 



because assimilation efficiency includes energy 

 of metabolism as well as growth. 



Weight-specific oxygen consumption increases 

 slowly in relation to temperature compared to 

 the observed increase in growth rate. Rombough 

 (1988) noted that the Qio for oxygen uptake by 

 individual species of fish eggs and larvae ranges 

 from 1.5 to 4.9, averaging 3.0. These values are 

 considerably higher than the Qm of 1.46 esti- 

 mated here as the among species temperature 

 (presumed latitudinal) effect on marine fish 

 larvae. Still, fish larvae in warm seas have a 



487 



