Brightman et a I.: Energetics of larval Sciaenops ocellatus 
439 
Age (days) 
Figure 3 
RNA:DNA of red drum larvae raised in the laboratory and in growout ponds: (A) labora- 
tory, 25°C and 0 prey/mL; (B) laboratory, 20°C and 5 prey/mL; (C) laboratory, 25°C and 5 
prey/mL; (D) pond, 25°C; and (E) pond, 32°C. 
(-18%/d) also showed a much lower value for RNA- 
DNA ratio : 0.7:1. Differences in RNA:DNA between 
the three treatments were highly significant 
(ANOVA: df=35, F= 107.6, P=0.QQ0). 
Overall, RNA:DNA was only a modest predictor of 
protein growth. Regression analysis of protein growth 
( y , % per d) versus RNA:DNA (x), by using all the 
values in Table 2, showed a marginal fit (y = -3.64 
+ 14.76x; P=0.01; r 2 =0.34). However, as discussed 
above, within a temperature, RNA:DNA was an ex- 
cellent predictor of instantaneous protein growth, 
and this was borne out in a regression using only 
the data collected at 25°C: y (% per d) = -12.43 + 
17.39 (RNA:DNA); P=0.01; r 2 =0.64. The performance 
of RNA:BNA as an overall predictor was improved 
significantly by using a multiple regression equation 
with a temperature term (Table 3). 
LDH Activity LDH activities of laboratory-raised 
larvae increased with age at ration levels of 0 and 
5.0 prey/mL and with temperatures of 20°C and 25°C 
(Fig 4). Larvae that were starved continued to pro- 
