Marine Finfish Larvae Research Articles

Evaluation of Feeding Habit and Reproductive Potential of Calanoid Copepod, Temora discaudata for Cultivation and use as Live Feed for Marine Finfish Larvae

Evaluation of Feeding Habit and Reproductive Potential of Calanoid Copepod, Temora discaudata for Cultivation and use as Live Feed for Marine Finfish Larvae

Anatomy and histological evaluation of the reproductive system of marine calanoid copepod Centropages furcatus from a mass culture perspective

Marine finfish culture is a priority area for future human food security. Although many marine finfish species have been domesticated and successful breeding and spawning in captive conditions are achieved, the larval rearing from hatchling to fingerling stage to the desired level is yet to be achieved. One of the essential impediment factors in this process is the availability of suitable live feed for the finfish larvae. The traditional live feeds (Artemia nauplii and rotifers) must be more adequate in size spectrum and nutritive value to many marine finfish larvae. In nature, copepod nauplii, copepodite stages, and adults constitute the preferred food of marine finfish larvae. Copepod size spectrum, nutritive value and swimming movements make them ideal live prey items for fish larvae. Nevertheless, the high-density culture of copepods is challenging due to their sexual reproduction and high species-specific variability. Further, adequate knowledge of the candidate species' food and feeding habits, reproductive biology, and life cycle strategies should exist. With this objective present study describes the female and male reproductive system, oogenesis and spermatogenesis, egg production, and reproductive potential of a candidate calanoid copepod species, Centropages furcatus. This basic information will help develop mass culture protocol for this species.

Efficacy of Apocyclops royi (Cyclopoida, Copepoda) Nauplii as Live Prey for the First Feeding Larvae of Silver Pompano, Trachinotus blochii (Lacepède, 1801)

In the rearing of first exogenous feeding, marine finfish larvae availability of live prey with suitable size and nutritive content is vital for their growth and survival. Copepods represent an important alternative food to present traditional live feed organisms used in marine fish hatcheries. Use of copepods is known to improve survival, growth, and development of fish larvae. The silver pompano, Trachinotus blochii (Lacepède, 1801) is one of the suitable candidate species for aquaculture due to its fast growth, good meat quality and high market demand. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Apocyclops royi nauplii in the rearing of first feeding larvae of T. blochii. The feeding experiments were conducted from 3 to 7 Day Post Hatch (DPH) using A. royi nauplii and Brachionus plicatilis (s type) diets. Higher growth of T. blochii larvae was evident with A. royi nauplii than that of rotifer diet. The A. royi nauplii fed experimental group of T. blochii larvae showed significantly different length (p <0.05) compared to rotifer fed larvae and the specific growth rate recorded was 29.42% and 24.28% in A. royi and rotifers fed experimental groups, respectively. On 7 DPH, A. royi nauplii fed T. blochii larvae showed higher mortality than rotifer fed group. With A. royi feed T. blochii larvae produced higher pigmentation which gradually started on the head and dorsal surface of the body from 3 DPH onwards and spread all over the body and became intense as the larvae grew to 7 DPH. Our results suggest the A. royi nauplii are suitable live prey for the T. blochii larvae during the initial feeding phase for better growth and pigmentation.

Evaluation of short and long term enrichment of Artemia franciscana with mixed algae or DHA oil emulsion for improving Dicentrarchus labrax larvae aquaculture

Setting up nutritional requirements with high-quality, time-saving marine finfish larvae is a big issue for increasing aquaculture profit. In the current study, we evaluated the nutritional value of two enrichment diets [DHA oil emulsion-enriched Artemia (Art-DHA-Selco) and mixed algae-enriched Artemia (Art-MA)] and two-timing protocol (2 & 24 h) for serving European Sea bass. Larval growth performance and survival percentage, as well as biochemical compositions of the enriched Artemia and for the fed larvae after 25 rearing days, were determined. The results revealed that survival percentage (S%), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) was insignificantly affected by the two factors (diets and time) or the interaction between them. Otherwise, growth in terms of final body weight (FBW), specific growth rate (SGR) as well as productive protein value (PPV) differed significantly at (P ≤ 0.01) among treatments in both factors. Concerning biochemical analysis, the highest protein value was recorded in Art-MA at 24 h. In contrast, lipid and carbohydrate levels were considerably higher in Art-MA 2 h than in the Art-DHA. That decrease in protein content, FBW, and SGR in the 2 h period in the MA treatment may attribute to the smaller size of the Artemia metanauplii in the 2 h than those after 24 h. That can be overcome by starting with Artemia metanauplii at the end with Instar II before enrichment process so that the size is big enough to give better results. The results revealed that PUFAs percentages were significantly highest especially EPA percentage in the enriched Art-MA 2 h followed by its correspondence Art-MA at 24 h compared with Art-DHA or un-enriched ones. Otherwise, the fatty acid composition (FA) of post-larvae surpassed greatly in EPA and n3/n6 ratios as diet reflection in the algal short-term duration. Based on the results and the documented drawbacks of DHA-Selco, the authors recommended using mixed algae in the enrichment protocol for feeding larval stages over the short term.

Effects of salinity on survival, reproductive performance, population growth, and life stage composition in the calanoid copepod Acartia bilobata

Copepods are a critical live prey item for most marine finfish larvae in the natural environment. The calanoid copepod belonging to species Acartia is a potential live food for the larval rearing of marine finfishes because of their higher productivity and tolerance to wide range of salinities. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of salinity on production parameters to standardize the optimal salinity for Acartia bilobata culture. For selecting the optimal salinity range, the adult copepods were exposed to abrupt salinity change from 30 g L−1 to ten salinity levels, including 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 g L−1 and their survival estimated after 24 h. Further, the effect of salinity (15, 20,25,30, and 35 g L−1) on egg production, hatching success and population growth were studied. Following sudden salinity change, A. bilobata could tolerate a wide range of salinities from 15 to 35 g L−1, and no copepod survived below 10 g L−1 and above 35 g L−1. Average daily egg production was significantly higher at 25 and 30 g L−1 (32 ± 1 and 34 ± 2 eggs female−1 day−1). A remarkably low egg hatching success was recorded at 15 g L−1 salinity; however, all other tested salinities showed similar egg hatching success. Different salinity levels did not affect the sex ratio of A. bilobata. A significantly higher total population number (1539 ± 75) and intrinsic population growth rate (0.50 ± 0.00) was observed at 30 g L−1, followed by 25 g L−1 salinity. The lowest mean population (518 ± 19) and population growth rate (0.39 ± 0.00) were recorded at 15 g L−1 salinity. The study results suggested that 25–30 g L−1 is the optimal salinity range to achieve maximal production of A. bilobata.

Role of Heat Shock Protein Influencing Bioactive Compounds From Mangrove Tropical Estuarine Microalgae for Enhancement of Copepod Egg Production in Culture System

In silico investigations of the natural bioactive compounds in the microalgae from mangrove tropical estuaries showed an influence on heat shock protein -70 production. Incorporation of algae with such compounds in the diet of copepod high density culture might lead to enhanced egg production. For this study, the structure of the ligands (bioactive compounds from microalgae in the region of the mangrove estuary) and X-ray crystal structure of hsp-70 complex was taken from PDB (3P9Y) with a resolution of 2.10 Å. The molecular docking study was performed using GOLD software. In the present study, a total of ten bioactive compounds showed good molecular interaction with hsp-70 protein. Among these bioactive compounds, Quercetin from the microalga, Chlamydomonas eugametos exhibited the highest molecular interaction and this compound is potential for enhancement of hsp-70 protein compared to other bioactive compounds and is considered a good nutrient enrichment for copepod culture as well as enhancement of hsp-70 protein against ROS and adverse environmental conditions. Successful high density copepod culture might lead to scaling up of hatchery rearing of marine finfish larvae.

Influence of certain environmental parameters on mass production of rotifers: A review

Marine biology,marine ecology,Phytoplankton, marine algae, zooplankton, nekton, benthos, corals and coral reefs, ecology, zoogeography and systematics, primary production and experimental work on ecosystem including energy flow at different trophic levels, population dynamics and theoretical models, recycling of matter, influence of environmental factors on metabolic activity, marine microbiology, mariculture and experimental work on propagation of cultivable species, biology of fishes, marine reptiles, sea birds and mammals, physical, chemical, geological and meteorological features of the environments related to marine biology, marine environmental damage caused by pollution and engineering works, underwater observations, conservation of living resources, modifications in methodology and techniques and development of new apparatus related to marine sciences

LONG-TERM COMBINED EFFECTS OF SALINITY AND TEMPERATURE ON THE GROWTH OF JUVENILE RED TILAPIA (OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS)

Over the last decades, there was growing evidence that the climatic change has greatly altered environmental conditions in many aquatic systems. Salinity and temperature are among the ecological factors that are specific to aquatic environment. Dominant environmental factors affecting marine finfish larvae are temperature and salinity that have a significant impact on growth rate, development and survival of marine fish. Red tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) juveniles of two hundred and eighty fish were used in this study averaging 14.28±0.16g in weight. Each tank contains 10 fish in triplicate for a period of 120 days using 4x3 factorial design. Four temperature levels 28, 30 and 32 while salinity level of 5, 10, 15 and 20 respectively. There were significant differences in the growth among all treatment. At 28oC, the best value of body gain in weight was recorded with salinity of 5ppt treatment was 8.6=0.05g and 28oC with salinity of 5ppt treatment which was 7.20=0.22g. Salinity seems to have a stronger effect than temperature on the growth of red juvenile tilapia.

Combining probiotic Phaeobacter inhibens DSM17395 and broad-host-range vibriophage KVP40 against fish pathogenic vibrios

Opportunistic pathogenic bacteria readily proliferate in live feed cultures used to feed marine fin fish larvae. As a consequence, larvae cultures fed infected live feed can suffer devastating larvae mortalities. Antibiotics are still used to control these pathogenic bacteria, but due to the risk of antibiotic resistance, sustainable alternatives are required. Phage therapy and probiotic bacteria are examples of alternatives which are currently being developed. However, regrowth of phage tolerant bacteria or reduced inhibition by probiotic bacteria in non-axenic systems, have been seen. The purpose of this study was to investigate if combining the broad-host-range vibriophage KVP40 and probiotic bacteria Phaeobacter inhibens DSM17395 would result in an enhanced inhibitory effect against the fish pathogenic Vibrio anguillarum and protection of live feed and cell lines. The combined and individual treatments were tested in non-axenic live feed systems (i.e. Tetraselmis suecica microalgae and Artemia salina brine shrimps) obtained from a commercial larval rearing unit. Further, we determined if the probiont and/or phages could protect CHSE-214 fish cell line challenged with V. anguillarum. P. inhibens, KVP40 and their combination reduced vibrio counts in the T. suecica cultures with one to two orders of magnitude below inoculum level. Combining KVP40 and P. inhibens resulted in a lower level of V. anguillarum than using the probiont alone. In the Artemia cultures, P. inhibens alone or in combination with KVP40 reduced vibrio counts and Artemia mortality relative to the control, while KVP40 alone only delayed vibrio growth and Artemia mortality. Combining KVP40 and P. inhibens caused an immediate killing of V. anguillarum, however, it did not provide extra inhibitory potential and only little extra protection of Artemia, as compared to using only P. inhibens. Our results demonstrate that probiotic bacteria and phages in commercial, non-axenic live feed can reduce levels of fish pathogenic Vibrio. The combinations of phage and probiont only resulted in a marginal improved pathogen reduction, however, this could and should be further optimized.

Utilizing Brachionus biodiversity in marine finfish larviculture

Mouth gape sizes of marine finfish larvae determine the size of rotifer prey that can be ingested, so providing appropriate size rotifers controls the success of larval rearing. It is difficult for hatcheries to maintain pure cultures of multiple rotifer species by long-term serial dilution without cross-contamination. In this paper, we describe a technique for utilizing multiple rotifer species in larviculture that uses rotifer diapausing eggs as inocula, enabling hatcheries to supply larval predators with optimally sized rotifers. Biodiversity in the Brachionus plicatilis species complex is extensive, including considerable variation in body size. In this paper, we show that large quantities of diapausing eggs can be produced from many Brachionus species. Using the full range of body size diversity from seven Brachionus species, we can produce adult female rotifers with mean body lengths as small as 137 μM, or as large as 305 μM, and neonate females with body lengths ranging from 103 to 206 μM. The length of diapausing eggs for small Brachionus species averaged 100 μM, and 166 μM for large species. Diapausing egg production varied by 3.6 fold among 14 strains. Using diapausing eggs of the very small rotifer Proales similis (88 μM) to inoculate mass cultures also is described.

Baseline culture parameters for the cyclopoid copepod Oithona colcarva : a potential new live feed for marine fish larviculture

Feeding copepods during early larval culture stages of marine fish has proven to be advantageous for growth and survival of marine finfish larvae. However, commercial availability of most copepods is limited; thus, there is an impetus to evaluate promising copepod species to meet the diverse dietary demands of various marine fish. The marine cyclopoid copepod, Oithona colcarva, was isolated out of zooplankton samples taken from waters within Tampa Bay, Florida. Once isolated, trials were conducted to determine the appropriate culture parameters for producing nauplii to feed marine fish larvae. The effects of temperature (22°C, 26°C and 30°C), salinity (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 g L−1), stocking density (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 individuals mL−1) and diet (Nanno 3600 microalgae paste, Colurella adriatica, Rhodomonas lens, Tisochrysis lutea, Chaetoceros gracilis and/or Tetraselmis chuii) on nauplii production during a single life cycle of reproducing individuals were examined. Results of those trials indicated that a culture temperature of 30°C and a salinity of 30 g L−1 were advantageous for maximum nauplii production. Furthermore, a diet containing a 1:1:1 mixture of T. lutea, C. gracilis and T. chuii and a stocking density of at least 8 individuals mL−1 were identified as beneficial. The results of these trials, the potential for large-scale culture and observations on the performance of marine fish larvae fed Oithona colcarva nauplii are discussed.

The importance of live-feed traps - farming marine fish species

This article analyses the challenges of different live-feed regimes for the rearing of marine finfish larvae and discusses the potential alternative live feeds to avert a future live-feed trap. Live feeds are indispensable for the successful rearing of larvae of most marine fish species. Brine shrimps (Artemia) and rotifers comprise the live feeds of choice in marine aquaculture today. However, their nutritional composition is deficient in especially essential fatty acids, and enrichment with fish oil is needed. Fish oil is considered a limited resource owing to its origin in fully exploited wild fish stocks. Moreover, fluctuations of the natural population of Artemia will, most likely, influence future availability and prices. This emphasizes the need for optimal exploitation of available live-feed resources and development of new sustainable alternatives, such as copepods. An array of solutions to these problems are presented to avoid a future live-feed trap and to reduce dependence on limited resources that influence future production possibilities, species diversification, price volatility and productivity in the aquaculture sector.

The effect of different dietary microalgae on the fatty acid profile, fecundity and population development of the calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus hessei (Copepoda: Calanoida)

We studied the effect of dietary microalgae on the fecundity, population development, and fatty acid profile [with focus on the essential fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6ω3) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5ω3)] of the calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus hessei, a potential live food for finfish larvae in aquaculture. Two mono-algal diets, the Tahitian strain of Isochrysis galbana and Rhodomonas salina, and a 50:50 binary diet of the two were fed to copepods. Wild caught copepods were used as a baseline reference point. Copepods fed I. galbana and the 50:50 binary diet had high DHA:EPA ratios and DHA content relative to those fed R. salina. The EPA content of the copepods was similar for all three diets. Copepods fed R. salina had the highest fecundity relative to those fed I. galbana and the 50:50 binary diet. The largest population was obtained when the copepods were fed I. galbana, which differed from those fed R. salina and the 50:50 binary diet. The results of this study showed that the fatty acid composition of P. hessei can be altered by changing its dietary microalgae, and that the copepod can accumulate fatty acids from its diet, especially DHA and EPA. Diet also affected fecundity and population development of P. hessei, so this species represents a potential live food candidate for marine finfish larvae as its nutritional composition and productivity can be manipulated to suit the needs of marine finfish larvae.

A cost-effectiveness analysis of live feeds in juvenile turbotScophthalmus maximus(Linnaeus, 1758) farming: copepods versusArtemia

The biological benefits of copepods as live feed for marine finfish larvae have already been well established in the literature. Copepods have better biochemical compositions that improve growth, reduce malpigmentations and allow successful farming of ‘new’ marine finfish species. However, their current usage is quite limited. One of the reasons has been lack of economic knowledge concerning the cost-effectiveness of copepod application compared to other commonly used feed items such as the brine shrimp Artemia. In this study, a cost-effectiveness analysis is made on two alternative live feed items (copepods and Artemia) in juvenile turbot farming. Unit cost of production and profit are compared between the two feeding regimes using a unique data set from an existing turbot fry production facility in Denmark. The result reveals that copepods are not only biochemically superior but they are also economically a cost-effective alternative. Thus, a commercial use of copepods will significantly reduce the production costs for turbot. Furthermore, the unexploited economic potential can be utilized for the successful farming of other high-valued marine finfish species such as tuna, flounders, cod, sole and halibut. Generally, the biochemical superiority coupled with economic benefits can lead to the commercial utilization of copepods as complementary live feed in the short run and in some situations as a substitute in the long run.

Economic feasibility of copepod production for commercial use: Result from a prototype production facility

During the last three decades, it has been shown that copepods are a superior live feed for marine finfish larvae compared to other commonly used live feed items, such as Artemia and rotifers. The use of copepods, which have a better biochemical composition, increases survival rate, improves growth condition, reduces mal-pigmentation and allows breeding of ‘new’ marine finfish species. However, copepods are not yet commercially produced and therefore not widely used in the aquaculture industry. One of the bottlenecks for large-scale production has been lack of economic knowledge on the feasibility of producing copepods for commercial application. This is the first empirical study to investigate the economic feasibility of copepod production for commercial use. To this end, a standard cost-benefit analysis based on a prototype production facility of Acartia tonsa (Dana) eggs at Roskilde University, Denmark, is employed. The result reveals that commercial production of copepods is economically feasible considering the existing market prices on both copepods and competing live feed items such as rotifers. The study provides valuable information for businesses who consider investing in live feed production for marine finfish aquaculture. Furthermore, the study also highlights the economic benefits of production and utilization of copepods on productivity and species diversification in marine finfish aquaculture. • A prototype intensive production facility for the copepod species Acartia tonsa was built. • Unique data set was collected when the system was built and while it was running. • Cost-benefit analysis was employed to assess the economic feasibility of production. • Both NPV and IRR show that the production facility is economically viable and worthwhile. • Commercial application of copepods will enhance productivity growth in aquaculture.

Commercial products for Artemia enrichment affect growth performance, digestive system maturation, ossification and incidence of skeletal deformities in Senegalese sole ( Solea senegalensis) larvae

Proper nutrition at first feeding in marine fish larvae is an important factor for successful larval rearing. However, live prey used to feed marine finfish larvae lack essential fatty acids requiring commercial hatcheries to enrich live prey to provide a balanced diet. Currently, the many commercially available enrichments for live prey present considerable differences in their formulas, and compositions of essential nutrients. Since nutritional requirements are species-specific it is necessary to define those enrichments most appropriate for each species in terms of larval development and quality. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of six enrichments on Senegalese sole larval performance including growth, digestive system development and skeletogenesis, to determine whether any of these products are more suitable for Senegalese sole larval rearing. From 8 to 37 days post hatching (dph), larvae were fed Artemia nauplii previously enriched with six different formulae: Easy Selco© (INVE, ES), Easy Selco© (INVE) half diluted with olive oil ( ES/2), Multigain© (BioMar, MG), Red Pepper© (Bernaqua, RP), Aquagrow Gold© (ABN, AGG) and Aquagrow DHA© (ABN, AGD), with the last two being diluted by a third with olive oil. The dietary treatments significantly affected larval growth and performance; larvae fed Artemia enriched with AGG presented significantly higher final dry weight (2.0 ± 0.4 mg), growth and intestinal maturation than larvae fed ES-enriched Artemia (final dry weight: 1.1 ± 0.3 mg). Larvae fed the AGG treatment also were those most advanced in metamorphosis and ossification processes. Larvae fed ES/2, RP, AGD and MG treatments presented intermediary values for all these parameters. No significant effect of the dietary treatments was detected in final survival and incidence of skeletal deformities. We conclude that, among the enrichments tested, AGG is the most appropriate for larvae of Senegalese sole.

Small-scale continuous production of a tropical marine copepod, Nitocra affinis californica Lang and its potential as live food for aquaculture

A study to establish a relatively simple and reliable small scale mass production and the nutritional profile of Nitocra affinis was undertaken. The result confirmed the feasibility of maintaining N. affinis on a small scale for a long period using cheaply available culture vessels. Within six weeks (42 days) a minimum harvest of 43.6 x 103 copepod.L-1 and maximum of 44.5 x 103 copepod.L-1 were obtained. Using several numbers of vessels (2L-capacity) for mass production, it was feasible to harvest 15.0 x 103 copepod.L-1 daily after two weeks of inoculation. Nitocra affinis has a great potential as live food because it contained high protein (39 to 52%), lipid (13 to 23%) and carbohydrates (8 to 11%). It also contained high level of n-3 HUFA (up to 44%) and n-6 HUFA (up to 14%). In addition it contained high amount of DHA (up to 19%) and EPA (up to 25%). Moreover, levels and ratios of fatty acids closely matched both the requirements of marine finfish and shrimp larvae. Key words: Mariculture, live food, marine copepod, Nitocra affinis, fatty acids.

Swimbladder inflation and its implication to the culture of marine finfish larvae

AbstractThis review examines the initial swimbladder inflation in cultured finfish larvae and the mechanisms controlling body buoyancy and the distribution of larvae during the critical early development stages. The literature suggests that the body buoyancy of larvae affects their distribution in the tank and fish with low buoyancy are likely to sink to the bottom leading to mortality. Initial swimbladder inflation occurs in a finite period of the postlarval stage and a number of biotic and abiotic factors have been associated with preventing inflation during the ‘window’ period. In recent times larval rearing techniques have been advanced, but it is still a challenge to increase the initial swimbladder inflation rates and maintain larval positioning in the water column to reduce mortality. This review shows that various nutritional and abiotic factors can be manipulated in the culture of many finfish species to achieve high rates of swimbladder inflation and reduce deformations and mortality during early larval rearing.

The Effects of Tank Color and Light Intensity on Growth, Survival, and Stress Tolerance of White Seabass, Atractoscion nobilis, larvae

White seabass, Atractoscion nobilis, are important commercial and sport fish commonly found in Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico to San Francisco Bay, California, USA (Thomas 1968). Adult white seabass inhabit the nearshore zone over rocky bottoms and kelp beds (Young 1973). White seabass can reach a size of 1.5 m and 38 kg (Miller and Lea 1972). Juveniles and young of the year are found in embayments and shallow water along the open coast (Allen and Franklin 1988a, b). White seabass are batch spawners typically spawning from April to August and congregate in rocky reef and kelp bed areas in the nearshore zone at this time (Thomas 1968). Eggs are approximately 1.3 mm in diameter and pelagic. Larvae are pelagic and are typical marine finfish larvae (Moser et al. 1983). Vision is important for feeding in most marine finfish larvae (Hunter 1980; Blaxter 1986). However, the eyes of marine finfish larvae at first feeding do not have illumination adaptation capability (Blaxter and Staines 1970; Neave 1984) and the development of the eye and visual acuity of white seabass, A. nobilis, is specifically known to be poor at first feeding (Margulies 1989). It is important to optimize environmental conditions in larviculture to facilitate feeding behavior (Tamazouzt et al. 2000). Maximization of feeding behavior should result in improved growth and survival (Downing and Litvak 1999b). Visually, this means maximizing contrast between food items and the environment making illumination in the larval rearing environment of primary importance. Illumination within a larval rearing tank can be affected by light source and intensity as well as tank color (Naas et al.

Coupling osteological development of the feeding apparatus with feeding performance in common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, larvae: Identifying morphological constraints to feeding

Identifying bottlenecks to feeding in marine finfish larvae is becoming a dominant theme as commercially important fish stocks collapse worldwide. The transition from endogenous yolk reserves to feeding exogenously is perhaps the largest constraint to developing aquaculture technologies in closed systems. Mass mortality during early larval development is generally attributed to a lack of suitable prey during the first feeding stage, however, empirical evidence identifying a causal link between morphology and performance remains scarce. In this study, we examined the link between osteological development of the feeding apparatus and feeding performance, expressed as (1) the median number of prey consumed by larvae and (2) the median size of prey consumed by larvae, during larval development of the common snook, Centropomus undecimalis. Cluster analysis, nMDS, and SIMPER analysis allowed us to identify functional intervals of the feeding apparatus through larval development. Results revealed that first feeding larvae exhibited rudimentary skeletal elements and selected only one or two of the prey types available relative to older larvae, which included more and larger prey types in their diet. Upon complete formation of the hyoid apparatus, around 8 dph, a dietary shift to rotifers was observed suggesting that high rates of mortality observed in closed culture systems may be attributed to the absence of a suitable small, non-elusive food organism during the first feeding stage. First feeding larvae exhibit a poorly developed feeding apparatus that may constrain their ability to consume elusive prey as an initial diet. Based on the association between stage-specific characteristics of the feeding apparatus and corresponding stage-specific metrics of feeding performance established in this study, we propose a stage-specific feeding-management scheme for snook hatchery aquaculture.