Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Growth and morphological development of laboratory-reared larval and juvenile three-spot gourami Trichogaster trichopterus

  • Full Paper
  • Published:
Ichthyological Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Morphological development, including the body proportions, fins, pigmentation and labyrinth organ, in laboratory-hatched larval and juvenile three-spot gourami Trichogaster trichopterus was described. In addition, some wild larval and juvenile specimens were observed for comparison. Body lengths of larvae and juveniles were 2.5 ± 0.1 mm just after hatching (day 0) and 9.2 ± 1.4 mm on day 22, reaching 20.4 ± 5.0 mm on day 40. Aggregate fin ray numbers attained their full complements in juveniles >11.9 mm BL. Preflexion larvae started feeding on day 3 following upper and lower jaw formation, the yolk being completely absorbed by day 11. Subsequently, oblong conical teeth appeared in postflexion larvae >6.4 mm BL (day 13). Melanophores on the body increased with growth, and a large spot started forming at the caudal margin of the body in flexion postlarvae >6.7 mm BL, followed by a second large spot positioned posteriorly on the midline in postflexion larvae >8.6 mm BL. The labyrinth organ differentiated in postflexion larvae >7.9 mm BL (day 19). For eye diameter and the first soft fin ray of pelvic fin length, the proportions in laboratory-reared specimens were smaller than those in wild specimens in 18.5–24.5 mm BL. The pigmentation pattern of laboratory-reared fish did not distinctively differ from that in the wild ones. Comparisons with larval and juvenile morphology of a congener T. pectoralis revealed several distinct differences, particularly in the numbers of myomeres, pigmentations and the proportional length of the first soft fin ray of the pelvic fin.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Burggren WW (1979) Bimodal gas exchange during variation in environmental oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air breathing fish Trichogaster trichopterus. J Exp Biol 82:197–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Burggren W, Haswell S (1979) Aerial CO2 excretion in the obligate air breathing fish Trichogaster pectoralis: a role for carbonic anhydrase. J Exp Biol 82:215–225

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cole B, Tamaru CS, Bailey R, Brown C (1999) A manual for commercial production of the gourami, Trichogaster trichopterus, a temporary paired spawner. Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture, Publ No 135, Oahu

  • Iwata A, Ohnishi N, Kiguchi Y (2003) Habitat use of fishes and fishing activity in plain area of southern Laos. Asian and African Area Studies 3:51–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohno H (1998) Early life history features influencing larval survival of cultivated tropical finfish. In: De Silva SS (ed) Tropical mariculture. Academic Press, London, pp 71–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Kottelat M (1998) Fishes of the Nam Theun and Xe Bangfai basins, Laos, with diagnoses of twenty-two new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae, Balitoridae, Cobitidae, Coiidae and Odontobutidae). Ichthyol Explor Freshwat 9:1–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Kottelat M (2001) Fish of Laos. Gunaratne Offset Ltd, Colombo

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramer DL (1973) Parental behaviour in the blue gourami Trichogaster trichopterus (Pisces, Belontiidae) and its induction during exposure to varying numbers of conspecific eggs. Behavior 47:14–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leis JM, Trnski T (1989) The larvae of Indo-Pacific shorefishes. NSW University Press, Kensington

    Google Scholar 

  • Lever C (1996) Naturalized fishes of the world. Academic Press, California, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Matayoshi S, Shokita S (1982) Development of air-breathing organ in Paradicefish, Macropodus opercularis (Linnaeus) from Okinawa-jima, the Ryukyus. Bull Coll Sci Univ Ryukyus 33:61–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Matsumiya Y, Kanamaru H (1987) Morphometric comparison and differentiation between artificially-released and wild red sea bream (Pagrus major). J Appl Ichthyol 3:49–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsumoto S, Morioka S, Kumagai S (2001) Development of African catfish Clarias gariepinus larvae during the transitional phase between endogenous and exogenous energy intake. In: Weyl OLF, Weyl MV (eds) Proceedings of the Lake Malawi Fisheries Management Symposium. Department of Fisheries of Malawi, Lilongwe, pp 227–232

    Google Scholar 

  • Morioka S, Vongvichith B (2011) Growth and morphological development of laboratory-reared larval and juvenile Hemibagrus filamentus (Siluriformes: Bagridae). Ichthyol Res 58:245–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morioka S, Ito S, Kitamura S, Vongvichith B (2009) Growth and morphological development of laboratory-reared larval and juvenile climbing perch Anabas testudineus. Ichthyol Res 56:162–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morioka S, Ito S, Kitamura S (2010a) Growth and morphological development of laboratory-reared larval and juvenile snakeskin gourami Trichogaster pectoralis. Ichthyol Res 57:24–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morioka S, Sano K, Phommachan P, Vongvichith B (2010b) Growth and morphological development of laboratory-reared larval and juvenile Pangasianodon hypophthalmus. Ichthyol Res 57:139–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moteki S, Yoseda K, Sahin T, Üstündağ C, Kohno H (2001) Transition from endogenous to exogenous nutritional sources in larval Black Sea turbot Psetta maxima. Fish Sci 67:571–578

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Na-Nakorn U, Kamonrat W, Ngamsiri T (2004) Genetic diversity of walking catfish, Clarias macrocephalus, in Thailand and evidence of genetic introgression from introduced farmed C. gariepinus. Aquaculture 240:145–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ogata Y, Morioka S, Sano K, Vongvichith B, Eda H, Kurokura H, Khonglaliane T (2010) Growth and morphological development of laboratory-reared larvae and juveniles of the Laotioan indigenous cyprinid Hypsibarbus malcolmi. Ichthyol Res 57:389–397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rainboth WJ (1996) Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong. FAO Species Identification Field Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Rüber L, Britz R, Zardoya R (2006) Molecular phylogenetics and evolutionary diversification of labyrinth fishes (Perciformes: Anabantoidei). Syst Biol 55:374–397

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Senanan W, Kapuscinski AR, Na-Nakorn U, Miller LM (2004) Genetic impacts of hybrid catfish farming (Clarias macrocephalus × C. gariepinus) on native catfish populations in central Thailand. Aquaculture 235:167–184

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shimizu H, Shiozawa S (2004) Allometry and development of caudal skeleton of hatchery-reared yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares. Bull Fish Res Agen 10:1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Welcomme RL (1988) International introductions of inland aquatic species. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 294, Rome

  • Welcomme RL, Vidthayanon C (2003) The impact of introductions and stocking of exotic species in the Mekong basin and policies for their control. Technical Paper No 9, Mekong River Commission, Phnom Penh

Download references

Acknowledgments

We express our sincere gratitude to K. Sano, Fisheries and Aquaculture International Co., Ltd., and the staff of the Aquaculture Improvement and Extension Project of the Japan International Cooperation Agency for their kind cooperation on broodstock collection. We are also grateful to L. Khamsivilay, Living Aquatic Resources Research Center, Laos, for his logistical support. Our thanks also go to G. Hardy for his polite and constructive English revision.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fisheries Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1-1 Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8686, Japan

    Shinsuke Morioka

  2. Aquaculture Research Unit, Living Aquatic Resource Research Center, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, Khounta Village, Sikhotabong District, Vientiane, Lao PDR

    Phonaphet Chanthasone, Phoutsamone Phommachan & Bounsong Vongvichith

Authors
  1. Shinsuke Morioka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Phonaphet Chanthasone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Phoutsamone Phommachan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bounsong Vongvichith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shinsuke Morioka.

About this article

Cite this article

Morioka, S., Chanthasone, P., Phommachan, P. et al. Growth and morphological development of laboratory-reared larval and juvenile three-spot gourami Trichogaster trichopterus . Ichthyol Res 59, 53–62 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-011-0256-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-011-0256-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation