Effects of larval density and salinity on the development of perch larvae (Perca fluviatilis L.)

We performed two experiments, one to test whether survival and initial swim bladder inflation of perchPerca fluviatilis are affected by population density (4 or 16 larvae 1^–1) or salinity (0, 0.6 and 1.2), and the second to test the salinity tolerance of larvae. In experiment 1, survival was higher at low larval densities and at salinities of 0.6 and 1.2 rather than in fresh water. Initial swim bladder inflation was not affected by salinity or density. Average survival of fry 24 days after hatching varied from 29.6% to 86.3%, but only an average of 19.2% of the hatched larvae had grown into viable fish with an inflated swim bladder. In experiment 2, survival varied from 19% to 49%, but was not significantly affected by salinities of up to 4.8. At a salinity of 9.6, only 2 out of 344 larvae survived.