Spawning, eggs and larvae of the hawkfish,Cirrhitichthys aureus, in an aquarium

Abstract

Spawning of the hawkfish,Cirrhitichthys aureus, occurred repeatedly between a female and a male in the aquariums of the Marine Science Museum, Tokai University. The pair was collected from Suruga Bay by scuba diving and maintained for 50 days prior to spawning. In early September, 1979, the first successful spawning took place at 17:40 h after several repetitions of a courtship behavior sequence, which was initiated by the male. Spawning continued daily for 104 days between the two fish. Fertilized eggs were spherical, transparent and pelagic, and measured 0.75–0.78 mm in diameter. Hatching took place 19–22.5 hours after fertilization at 26.2–28.4°C. Newly hatched larvae, measuring 2.23–2.28 mm in total length, had a rather slender body with 12+18 = 30 myotomes and a large ellipsoid yolk sac. The front tip of the yolk sac protruded forward beyond the snout of the larvae. A single oil globule was situated in the front part of the yolk sac. The larvae were maintained for 4 days after fertilization. Larval characteristics ofC. aureus bore a close resemblance to those of other cirrhitid species especially in melanophore pigmentation along the dorsal and ventral surfaces.