FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE,MOA,TAIWAN

At the water temperature of 24 ~ 28 oC, the osteological development of Spine-cheek anemonefish, Premnas biaculeatus (Bloch, 1790) larvae had partially proceeded after hatching. Larvae were fed on the first day post hatch (DPH), while all cephalic skeletons were still cartilaginous. On the 2nd DPH, the maxillary, dentary and pharyngeal teeth started to ossify. Premaxilla, maxilla, dentary, branchiostegals and celeithum ossified on the 2nd and 3rd DPH. Due to the poor swimming capability only and the Meckel’s cartilage, ethmoid plate, and hyoid bone to support the structure of mouth, larvae were fed on rotifers that have relatively slow motility. Mouth opening of larvae was 0.68 ± 0.26 mm on the 4th ~ 5th DPH. The ossified pharygeal teeth helped shredding and wrecking food including copepods which were also supplied concurrently. Notochord flexion was also occurring. The hypurals and dentary teeth ossified on the 7th ~ 8th DPH that larvae could swim faster and eat larger adult copepods. The development of notochord postflexion was completed, caudal rays began to develop and larval swimming increased significantly on the 10th DPH. Most rays in the various parts of the larvae well ossified and body coloration pattern changed on the 13th ~ 15th DPH. The ability of larval swimming well developed and mouth opening increased as the sedimentation stage. Larval swam faster that large-size Artemia and mixed food can be fed. The larvae began to eat the larger artificial pellet feed (SL, 6.38 ± 0.8 mm) on the 20th DPH and reached the juvenile stage (SL, 7.65 mm) on the 31th DPH.