Effect of temperature on hatching success and size of striped trumpeter (Latris lineata) larvae

Egg samples were collected from captive striped trumpeter maintained under phase-shifted and simulated ambient photothermal regimes and incubated at 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16 degreesC. No eggs hatched at 9 degreesC. Time to hatch decreased from 9.6 to 4.2 days as temperature increased from 10 to 16 degreesC. Survival to hatch was low at 10 and 11 degreesC, but similar within the range 12-16 degreesC. Larval length at hatching was greatest at 14 degreesC, with no significant difference in yolk volume or muscle depth at vent across the range of temperatures. The results of our study suggest that the optimal temperature for the incubation of striped trumpeter eggs is 14 degreesC, which is higher than found previously. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.