The swimming abilities of recently settled post-larvae of Sillaginodes punctata

Sixty-four post-larvae of the King George whiting Sillaginodes punctata were tested in swimming chambers, against one of five flow-through velocities (2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 cm s−1) for up to a maximum of 120 min. Fish were determined by regression to have an FV50 (50% fatigue velocity) of 6·0 cm s−1. No fish survived the full 120 min at 10 cm s−1. Sixteen individuals were tested in a swimming chamber against a flow-through velocity of 6 cm s−1 and allowed to swim to exhaustion. Fish swam between 25 and 538 min with a peak at c. 6–8 h. Total swimming time was not correlated with standard length of fish although the size range examined was narrow. Relative to recent studies on the swimming abilities of late-stage larvae of reef fishes, this study indicates that post-larval King George whiting are weak swimmers. The weak swimming ability of post-larval King George whiting is consistent with studies showing passive dispersal and recruitment of this species. Copyright 2002 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]