Growth rates, mortality rates, and energetics properties of teleost larvae differ among species and among ecosystems. In this synthesis, the ingestion rates required to support mean growth of larvae were estimated and energy budgets were developed. Weight-specific growth coefficients (G), instantaneous mortality rates (Z), larval stage durations (D), gross growth efficiencies (K-1), and weight-specific oxygen uptake (QO(2)) were obtained from published sources and categorized by marine and freshwater species. Rates and properties were subcategorized by marine ecosystems and by taxonomic group. The strong temperature dependencies of rates and properties for larvae were adjusted by analysis of covariance to allow mean values to be compared among ecosystems and taxa. After adjustment, relatively few significant differences were detected, indicating that, with important exceptions, teleost larvae have characteristic and predictable attributes. Marine fish larvae have higher Z, longer D and higher QO(2) than freshwater larvae, probably because marine larvae weigh less at hatch (47 mu g versus 339 mu g). Larvae of coral reef fishes had lower temperature-adjusted ($) over bar G than larvae from other marine ecosystems. Values of K-1 (mean = 0.301) differed little among ecosystems or taxonomic groups and were not related to temperature. Energy budgets, which integrate the effects of rates and propel-ties, differed appreciably among ecosystems and taxa. Ingestion, metabolism, and assimilation were higher for marine than for freshwater larvae. Mean temperature-adjusted ingestion rates usually were 40 to 65% of body weight, although values as high as 97% (Scombroidei) were estimated. Larvae from cool ecosystems (10 degrees C) required two to four times less ingested energy on a daily basis than larvae from warm systems (28 degrees C) to grow at their respective mean rates. Assimilation efficiencies declined as temperature increased. Temperature-adjusted mean assimilation efficiencies (($) over bar A) were 0.65 for marine and 0.56 for freshwater teleost larvae; ($) over bar A ranged from 0.54 (shelf) to 0.75 (upwelling) for marine ecosystems, and from 0.47 (Salmoniformes) to 0.82 (Gadiformes) across taxonomic groups. Rates and relationships reported here, while not intended to predict species-specific responses, do provide information on deviations by individual species from predicted rates and can identify specific adaptations and life-history strategies. Results of the analyses will be useful to categorize, compare, and model ichthyoplankton assemblages in pelagic communities.

Adult reproductive characteristics, hatch-date frequencies of new recruits, and young-of-the-year growth from daily increments in otoliths of bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli are reported from mid-Chesapeake Bay trawl collections in 1986 and 1987. Males and females matured at 40 to 45 mm fork length at ca 10 mo posthatch. The spawning season extended from approximately mid-May to mid-August and peaked in July each year. Bay anchovy spawns in the evening, and virtually all females spawned nightly for ca 50 nights during the peak period. Daily batch fecundities were directly related to female size and ranged from 514 to 2026 ova. Mean relative fecundities did not differ between years (mean = 687 ova g-1). Age-1 females produced 99.6 and 92.8 % of the eggs spawned in July of 1986 and 1987, respectively. Females in the 50 to 55 mm length range contributed 53 and 57 % of the eggs spawned in 1986 and 1987. No young-of-the-year anchovy, 35 to 42 mm fork length, that were examined were mature. Most recruited young-of-the-year anchovy collected in September and October were hatched in July. Peak hatching occurred in early July 1987 but occurred from mid- to late July in 1986. The earlier 1987 hatch dates may have resulted from earlier spawning in response to higher water temperatures. Mean growth rate of otolith-aged individuals 17.5 to 49.5 mm long was 0.47 mm d-1 in both 1986 and 1987.

1.1. The ectoparasitic snail Boonea (= Odostomia) impressa is an important parasite of oysters. Although results varied among tissues and levels of parasitism, all oysters parasitized by B. impressa exhibited alterations in biochemical composition after 1 month.2.2. Few changes were observed in small (2–4 cm) or large (6–8 cm) oysters parasitized by 5 or 10 snails, respectively. In contrast, carbohydrate concentration decreased in small oysters parasitized by 15 or 25 snails and increased in large oysters parasitized by 30 snails.3.3. Decreased carbohydrate content probably resulted from direct removal of assimiliated carbon by B. impressa. Increased carbohydrate concentration may be due to the combined impact of B. impressa with infections by the protozoan Perkinsus (= Dermocystidium) marinus. P. marinus infection increased in intensity with snail parasitism. Increased lipid content in the mantle tissue of large oysters and increased taurine content in most oysters and oyster tissues could be similarly explained.4.4. Overall, mantle tissue was the most severely affected, possibly because snail parasitism produces direct injury to this tissue as well as the systemic impact caused by removal of assimilated carbon.

Calcification rate in the coral Acropora cervicornis was reduced significantly when exposed for 24 h to 100-ppm kaolin, but was unchanged in corals exposed to 50-ppm kaolin. Calcification rate returned to control levels during a 48-h recovery period. Most free amino acids (FAA) in the FAA pool decreased significantly in corals exposed to 100-ppm kaolin, but were unchanged in corals exposed to 50-ppm kaolin. After a 48-h recovery period, the FAA pool remained considerably below control levels in the 100-ppm exposed corals and dropped below control levels in the 50-ppm exposed corals. Calcification rate dropped less and later during the exposure period in the growing tip than in sections further down the stalk. The reduction in FAA pool size was considerably larger in the growing tip than further down the stalk. Soluble protein concentration remained unchanged during both exposure and recovery. The data are consistent with the interpretation that turbidity not only causes a decrease in photosynthetic rate and the synthesis of small molecules, but also causes a large increase in the utilization of stored organic molecules for such metabolically costly processes as mucus production and sediment removal.

Corals were exposed to drilling mud for 24 hr and then allowed to recover for 48 hr in clean seawater. Depending on the concentration and the mud used, exposure produced either an increase or decrease in free amino acid (FAA) pool size. Aspartate was affected to a greater degree than other amino acids. No clear instance of recovery could be ascertained after 48 hr in clean seawater. In several cases, corals, apparently unaffected by a 24 hr exposure, nevertheless suffered significant changes in the FAA pool during the 48 hr recovery period. Thus, the degree of toxicity of the drilling mud could not be accurately predicted from the 24 hr exposure data. In many cases, the choice of a normalizing parameter determined whether two sets of data were significantly different or not. Accurate effects assessment depends on a comparison of several methods of normalization to confirm statistical results.

The effect of used drilling muds on coral health was examined by monitoring changes in calcification rate and soluble tissue protein concentration in the coral Acropora cervicornis. Exposure to 25 ppm (v/v) of one mud for 24 h reduced calcification rate in the growing tips by as much as 62%. In recovery experiments, corals were exposed to drilling muds for 24 h; some of them were allowed to recover in clean seawater for 48 h. After the 24-hour exposure, calcification rates were significantly less than those of the controls. After a 48-hour recovery period, calcification rates returned to control levels for one mud but were still significantly below control levels for another. The results indicate that the capacity for recovery after exposure cannot be predicted from the results of experiments on exposure only. Recovery capacity must be independently verified for all studies on the effects of short-term exposure to drilling muds.