324 
Fishery Bulletin 107(3) 
Table 1 
Morphometries of Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) from one day after hatching (DAH) through 20 DAH cultured at 
25°C. Metamorphosis was completed at 17-19 DAH. The relationship of head length to standard length ranged from 33% to 49%. 
Values are means ±standard error (SE) for larvae sampled from three rearing trials (n = 600). 
Days after 
hatching 
Total length 
(mm) 
Standard length 
(mm) 
Body depth 
(mm) 
Head length 
(mm) 
Eye diameter 
(mm) 
1 
2.27 ±0.50 
2.14 ± 0.58 
0.61 ±0.06 
— 
0.19 ±0.02 
2 
2.62 ±0.31 
2.52 ±0.50 
0.67 ±0.10 
— 
0.25 ±0.00 
3 
2.71 ±0.27 
2.69 ±0.54 
0.65 ±0.04 
— 
0.28 ±0.01 
4 
2.84 ±0.76 
2.76 ±0.25 
0.68 ±0.06 
— 
0.28 ±0.03 
5 
3.05 ±1.01 
2.80 ±0.25 
0.66 ±0.07 
— 
0.29 ±0.02 
6 
3.25 ±1.26 
2.96 ±0.24 
0.60 ±0.07 
1.08 ±0.19 
0.34 ±0.17 
7 
3.55 ±1.52 
3.06 ±0.30 
0.74 ±0.07 
1.17 ±0.17 
0.31 ±0.08 
8 
3.67 ±1.50 
3.31 ±0.51 
0.74 ±0.03 
1.25 ± 0.27 
0.35 ±0.12 
9 
3.95 ±1.36 
3.67 ±0.47 
0.87 ±0.07 
1.42 ±0.24 
0.39 ±0.17 
10 
4.20 ±1.64 
3.80 ±0.53 
0.91 ±0.04 
1.42 ±0.27 
0.42 ±0.26 
11 
4.37 ±1.78 
4.10 ±0.88 
0.95 ±0.01 
1.53 ±0.45 
0.45 ±0.26 
12 
4.49 ±1.67 
4.46 ±1.24 
0.95 ±0.02 
1.68 ±0.59 
0.47 ±0.37 
13 
4.87 ±1.96 
4.79 ±1.39 
0.98 ±0.09 
1.77 ±0.68 
0.47 ±0.32 
14 
4.95 ±1.35 
4.95 ±2.06 
1.20 ±0.23 
1.89 ±0.62 
0.53 ±0.39 
15 
5.18 ±1.48 
5.15 ±2.20 
1.15 ±0.03 
1.90 ±0.74 
0.52 ±0.43 
16 
5.51 ±1.44 
5.54 ±2.13 
1.31 ±0.32 
1.99 ±0.78 
0.55 ±0.61 
17 
5.71 ±1.46 
5.42 ±0.20 
1.39 ±0.22 
2.15 ±0.69 
0.61 ±0.49 
18 
5.99 ±1.46 
5.48 ±0.17 
1.51 ±0.05 
2.22 ±0.74 
0.59 ±0.40 
19 
6.72 ±1.44 
5.92 ±0.11 
1.61 ±0.10 
2.23 ±0.94 
0.60 ±0.47 
20 
8.55 ±1.80 
6.92 ±1.88 
2.53 ±0.85 
2.59 ±0.86 
0.79 ±0.50 
ment of standardized hatchery practices to support the 
growth of commercial aquaculture. Examples of such 
species include barramundi ( Lates calcarifer ; Kohno et 
al., 1986), milkfish ( Chanos chanos; Kohno et al., 1996), 
mangrove red snapper (L. argentimaculatus; Doi et al., 
1997), gilthead seabream (Sparus auratus ; Polo et al., 
Table 2 
Growth equations based on total length (TL) and stan- 
dard length (SL) for Florida pompano ( Trachinotus caro- 
linus) reared at 25°C. Larval lengths were measured in 
mm and age was measured as number of days after hatch- 
ing. Separate growth equations were developed for each 
rearing trial because significant differences in growth 
were observed (P<0.001). 
Trial 
Equation 
n 
r 2 
1 
TL = 2 .058e 00533 Age 
200 
0.96 
SL = 1.967e 0 0479Agc 
200 
0.98 
2 
TL = 2. 066e° 9438 
200 
0.94 
SL = 1.893e 0 0508A ^ 
200 
0.93 
3 
TL= 2.381e 0 0672A ^ 
200 
0.98 
SL= 2. 859e 00697A ^ 
200 
0.96 
1992) and European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax ; 
Kuzir et al., 2004). 
In this study, image analysis proved to be a useful 
tool (with a high degree of accuracy) for document- 
ing the early development of larvae and for obtain- 
ing measurements of larval characters. The process of 
digitally photographing larvae and measuring growth 
was relatively quick and uncomplicated. Measurements 
were accomplished in real-time during rearing trials 
and therefore offered a broad spectrum of possible ap- 
plications for research or commercial hatcheries. With 
the exception of overall growth measured as TL and SL, 
no substantial amount of morphological variation was 
expressed among cohorts of larvae from an individual 
spawning event or multiple spawnings. Developmental 
characteristics of cultured larvae were not significant- 
ly different from previous descriptions of wild-caught 
Florida pompano larvae from 7.2 to 11.0 mm SL (Fields, 
1962); however, it was determined that fish changed 
morphologically from larvae to juveniles with full fin- 
ray counts at 17 to 19 DAH, instead of at a previously 
observed time in which metamorphosis of cultured fish 
occurred at 24 DAH (McMaster, 1988). 
Similar to the challenges in rearing any marine fish 
species with small eggs and larvae, the culture of Flor- 
ida pompano larvae is difficult and time consuming. 
It is unfortunate that larvae will not readily consume 
