Brightman et al.: Energetics of larval Sciaenops ocellatus 
435 
40 
1 ' 1 1 1 1 ' 1 1 ' 1 1 1 1 ' ' 1 
r: A - 
150 
- D 
16000 
J rTT T r 1 ' 1 1 ' ' ! 1 1 1 I ' 1 1 I 1 1 ' l_ 
V - 
: Y= exp (3.2 - 0.236X) 
! 2 
30 
r = 0.60 
120 
- Y= exp (2.14 + 0.100X) - 
2 
12000 
. Y= exp (2.56 + 0.325X) J 
r =0.86 
; r =0.89 
•k : • 
90 
20 
' \ ‘ • - 
8000 
- 
! \ j : 
60 
10 
- • ; • { ; ■ - 
. 
4000 
- 
30 
- 
0 / - 
: d . 
flexion \X 
0 
0 
0 
0 2 4 6 8 
0 3 6 9 12 15 
0 8 10 12 14 16 18 
40 
| T-l-T-f 1 1 1 | 1 1 1 | 1 1 1 T 
B - 
150 
i 1 1 i 1 ' i 1 1 i 1 1 i 1 1 r 
e: 
16000 
: g" 
30 
' Y = exp (2.99 - 0.204 A) ; 
2 - 0.45 
120 
■ /= exp (2.02 + 0.176X) • - 
2 : ■ 
12000 
1 Y= exp (1.06 + 0.471X) 1 
flexion, ‘ / ■ 
■ r = 0.96 / • 
E 
90 
/ - 
/ 
zL 
/• 
/ 
w 20 
-v. . - 
' / ' ■ 
8000 
/ 
05 
. : 
60 
/ ' “ 
/ 
E 
I 
/ 
Q 10 
1 . : ! . / 
4000 
/ 
30 
i V* ! 
/ 
.flexion / 
0 
0 
0 
0 2 4 6 8 
0 3 6 9 12 15 
0 8 10 12 14 16 18 
40 
c: 
■; Y= exp (3.21 -0.231X) 
30 
-« r 2 = 0.62 " 
20 
; 
10 
: ' 1 M : • 
0 
0 2 4 6 8 
Age (days) 
Figure 2 
Growth in dry mass of red drum larvae raised in the laboratory and in growout ponds: (A) 
laboratory, 25°C and 0 prey/mL; (B) 
laboratory, 25°C and 0.1 prey/mL; (C) laboratory, 25°C 
and 1 prey/mL; (D) laboratory, 20°C and 5 prey/mL; (E) laboratory, 25°C and 5 prey/mL; (F) 
pond, 25°C; and (G) pond, 32°C 
of the three curves describing the time-dependent 
decline in individual dry biomass at the three ration 
levels were not significantly different (Student’s /-test: 
P> 0.05). Growth in dry mass at a ration level of 5.0 
prey/mL was significantly higher than at the three 
lower ration levels (0, 0.1, and 1.0 prey/mL). 
In contrast, wet masses in 2-6 day-old larvae were 
slightly lower at ration levels of 0, 0.1, and 1.0 prey / 
mL than at 5.0 prey/mL but were not significantly 
different. This finding indicated that body water con- 
tent was increasing in larvae maintained at the three 
lower ration levels. 
Larvae held at 25°C and fed 5.0 prey/mL had higher 
growth rates than those raised at 20°C at the same 
ration level (Fig. 2; Table 1). Growth averaged 2.86 
pg/day for the first two weeks of life in larvae raised 
at 20°C and 10.09 pg/day for larvae reared at 25°C. 
Expressed as a percent increase in mass, larvae 
reared at 20°C increased 10.5 %BM/d and those 
reared at 25°C increased 19.3 %BM/d. 
