Larval fish life

In his recent paper, Jeff Leis provides more information about the life of larval fishes.

Findings:

The following points list a number of the interesting findings given in the paper.

• Larval fishes swim in the oceans at speeds similar to the currents found in many locations and at 3 to 15 body lengths per second.
• Species from cold environments swim more slowly than those from warm environments.
• Larval fishes are efficient swimmers.
• Most species have oriented swimming in the ocean.
• The vertical distribution of larval fish species changes with growth.
• Sensory abilities (hearing, olfaction and vision) form early.
• Behaviour must be taken into account when considering dispersal.
• More research in the field is required, especially for colder water species.

Reference:
Leis, J.M, 2010. Ontogeny of behaviour in larvae of marine demersal fishes. Ichthyological Research. 57: 325–342.