The vulnerability of embryonic and larval stages of European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax to environmental temperature and the longer‐term consequences for the early juveniles was demonstrated. This phenotypic plasticity was highlighted by subjecting D. labrax at 15·2 ± 0·3 or 20·0 ± 0·4° C (mean ± s . d .) up to metamorphosis and then at the same temperature (18·5 ± 0·7° C). After 4–6 weeks at the same temperature, the measu...

To exam whether the temperature experienced by fishes at early developmental stages can influence their phenotype at subsequent stages, the model species used, European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax was subjected to water temperatures of 15 or 20° C during the half‐epiboly stage until the metamorphosis. Meristic and morphometric characters at three different stages, well after the end of the thermal treatments, were explored....

European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax of the north‐western (NW) and south‐eastern (SE) Mediterranean Sea strains were exposed to different temperatures (13, 17 or 21° C) during the larval rearing (11–51 days post hatching, dph) or nursery periods (55–95 dph), in order to examine the effects of temperature on sex differentiation and subsequent growth during the first year of life. Higher growth was observed during exposure to...

Starting from 66 days post hatching (dph), European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax were graded successively to create a fast growing (L‐extreme) and a slow growing (S‐extreme) population. The L‐extreme population grew significantly larger (ANOVA, n = 89–101, P v . 66·7 ± 0·9 g, mean ± s . e .). When the two populations were sexed, the L‐extreme consisted of 96·5% and the S‐extreme of 30·2% females, while the ungraded control ha...

At four temperatures ( T= 15, 20, 25 and 28° C) swimming performance of Dicentrarchus labrax was significantly correlated with total length (23–43 mm L T ); r 2 =0.623–0.829). The relative critical swimming speed ( RU crit = U crit L T −1 ), where U crit is the critical swimming speed, was constant throughout the L T range studied. The significant effect of temperature on the relative critical swimming speed was described bino...

Osteological development of the vertebral column and caudal complex in common dentex was described under extensive larval rearing conditions. Generally, the cartilaginous bones developed prior to the membranous bones. The development of the axial skeleton began with the formation of the hypural 1, the neural arches 2 and 3, as well as the haemal arches 1–8 at 4·8, 4·9 and 5·0 mm total length ( L T , measured in vivo ), respect...

One annulus formed on the scales of farmed red porgy Pagrus pagrus each year during March and one opaque zone on the otoliths during June. Scales proved to be more sensitive than otoliths in recording the life history of the red porgy. A false annulus (ring of capture) was observed on the scales of the 0+ age group, but not on the otoliths. A gradual lengthening of the period of annulus formation was observed, from the younger...