FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 80, NO. 3 



3.0-, 



2.5- 



~ 2.0H 

 E 



2 1.5- 



O 



5 



>- 



Q 



1.0- 



0.5- 



oJ 



Experiment 4 Y=0.00170543e 

 r=0.97 



(0.680339X) 



Experiment 



5 Y=0.00600652e< 0533521X > 



r = 0.96 



(0.652494X) 



Experiment 6 Y=0.00236324e 

 r = 0.93 



Experiment/ Y=0.00121027 e (° 796209X > 

 r= 0.89 



(0.631929X) 



Combined 



Y=0.0028787e 

 r= 0.92 



STANDARD LENGTH (mm) 



Figure 7.— Assimilated tissue dry weights and corresponding standard lengths of four batches of striped bass larvae. 



1958; Fluchter and Pandian 1968; Blaxter 

 1969). Egg size variability was not unexpected as 

 eggs are reported to vary within and among a 

 variety of fish species (Clupea harengus, Blaxter 

 and Hempel 1963; Sardinops caerulea, Lasker 

 1962; Trachurius symmetricus, Ware 1975; 

 Theilacker 1980 4 ). 



It appears from studies of embryos and larvae 

 with large oil globules that the energy from the 

 oil is important to larval growth and survival, 

 and the influence of this energy source is present 



4 Theilacker, G. H. 1980. A review of pelagic larval fish 

 behavior and physiology. Presented at Institute del Mar del 

 Peeru (IMARPE) Workshop, April 21-May 5, 1980. 



for long periods. In this study and that of Rogers 

 and Westin (1981), striped bass larvae retained 

 their oil energy reserves for extended periods, 

 especially when starved. This is not common in 

 fishes although similar retention of the oil glob- 

 ule was noted in Bairdiella ieistia (May 1974a) 

 and Leuresthes tenuis (May 1971; Ehrlich and 

 Muszuski in press). The oil globule also seemed to 

 help striped bass larvae avoid or prolong the 

 typical point-of-no-return, the time of irrever- 

 sible starvation (Eldridge et al. 1981). In a re- 

 view of larval fish physiology, Theilacker (1980) 

 concluded that in addition to egg size and acti- 

 vity, egg lipid level relates most to larval resili- 

 ence. 



468 



