| AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR EMBRYOS, LARVAE, AND EARLY JUVENILES OF FISHES IN FRESH WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA |
| SNYDER, D.E., Larval Fish Laboratory, Colorado State University, desnyder@warnercnr.colostate.edu; Auer, N.A., Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, naauer@mtu.edu; Kay, L.K., lkkay@hiwaay.net; Kernehan, C.D., Environmental Consulting Services, Inc., dolphin9102@yahoo.com; Kernehan, R.J., rkernehan@earthlink.net; Lippson, A.J., alicejanelippson@msn.com; Reyes R.C., Tracy Fish Collection Facility, Bureau of Reclamation, rreyes@usbr.gov; Scripter, M.J., Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, mscripte@fit.edu; Seal, S.C., Larval Fish Laboratory, fishseal@lamar.colostate.edu; esturm@northstar.k12.ak.us; and Wilcox, C.T., Larval Fish Laboratory, cameron.wilcox@colostate.edu |
| The embryos, various larval phases, and early juveniles of fish are morphologically and often ecologically distinct from each other as well as later juveniles and adults. Accordingly, knowledge of fish early life history is often essential to better understanding aquatic ecosystems and communities, assessing environmental impacts, monitoring reproduction and recruitment, and more effectively protecting, recovering, or managing fish populations and habitat. Acquisition of that knowledge and pertinent study data through field investigations usually requires accurate identification of collected specimens. But even today, the eggs, larvae, and early juveniles of most species remain undescribed or inadequately described for identification purposes. Of approximately 800 species of freshwater and anadromous fishes in the continental United States and Canada, it was estimated that only about 15% had been adequately described by the mid-1970’s and still less than 25% by the mid-1990’s, but neither estimate was well documented. By the mid-1990’s, much of that descriptive information had been provided or selectively compiled and summarized in about 20 regional freshwater and estuarine larval-fish or early life-history manuals. Several more guides have been published since 2003 and a few more are in preparation. We surveyed the species accounts in most of these guides, and the content of selected other publications, to provide an assessment of most currently available descriptive information and document in what surveyed literature it can be found. |
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