Growth and behaviour of Baltic spring spawning herring (Clupea harengus) larvae raised at two different temperatures and under different feeding regimes (prey size) using the copepod Acartia tonsa

Ten female (mean 179 g wet mass (WM) and 25.3 cm standard length (SL) and ten male (182 g WM, 24.5 cm SL) Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus L.) were obtained from Kiel Bight (54°22'N, 010°09'E) and strip-spawned. Their offspring were subjected to feeding and growth experiments using different prey size spectra in controlled laboratory settings at different temperatures. In 4- (13°C) or 7-day (7°C) experiments, the effect of prey size on larval foraging behaviour, specific growth rate (SGR) and biochemical condition (RNA:DNA, RD) was tested. On a daily basis, the swimming behaviour and foraging activity of these larvae was recorded.

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