Swimming ability of pre-feeding striped bass larvae

Swimming ability and changes in shape of striped bass (Moronesaxatilis) larvae were measured daily for the first 5 dpost-hatch. The critical swimming speed increased from 0.54 cm/s(1.3 body lengths per second (bl/s)) on day 1 to 2.64 cm/s (4.3bl/s) on day 5. The post-anal larval length represented 60% of thetotal length increase over this time. The use of critical swimming speed tocalculate acceptable drainage screen areas and through-screen velocities forlarval rearing tanks is demonstrated.