Postcranial skeletal development of the Atlantic herring (Clupeomorpha: Clupeidae: Clupeaharengus)

Abstract

The Atlantic herring Clupea harengus is a small pelagic schooling fish belonging to the Clupeiformes. It constitutes a key species for fisheries and marine ecosystems of the Northern hemisphere. Due to its key importance for fishery several studies refer to the larval development of C. harengus and aim to further understand its reproductive biology. However, not much is known about the skeletal development of herring larvae. This study describes the axial skeleton development of Western Baltic herring. Cartilage and bone formation were traced by clearing and double staining herring larvae with a size spectrum of 6–35 mm. During the yolk-sac phase, the caudal fin starts to differentiate. Then, in the next phase the dorsal fin develops, followed by notochord flexion and anal fin formation. After a phase of pelvic fin development, the transition to the juvenile fish starts. The development of herring is compared to other clupeiforms, especially Alosa sapidissima, Engraulis japonicus and Sardinops melanostictus, for which information was available, and to previous research on herring larvae.