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Reproduction
Fish Larval Stages
The specialised larval forms fish pass through - often completely different from adults - and the developmental milestones between hatching and juvenile.
System: Reproductive Level: Intermediate Discipline: Physiology
📖 Overview
Fish larvae are often unrecognisable as their adult species. Eel leptocephali are transparent leaf-shaped drifters. Flatfish larvae are symmetric like normal fish before undergoing eye migration. Marlin larvae look like tiny sailfish with disproportionate fins. The larval stage typically ends with metamorphosis into juvenile morphology.
🔑 Key Concepts
Yolk-sac stage, first feeding, metamorphosis, settlement (for reef fish).
✨ Fun Fact
The transparent leaf-shaped leptocephalus larva of the European eel drifts across the Atlantic for years before reaching Europe - one of the longest planktonic phases in vertebrates.