Early development and allometric growth patterns of Trachinotus ovatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

The early development of the golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus), from embryogenesis through the larval and juvenile periods, is presented. The study findings have indicated that the eggs exhibited buoyancy in a salinity of 33, and featured a durable, transparent, yellowish spherical membrane, and contained a solitary non-adhesive oil droplet. At an incubation temperature of (28 ± 0.5) °C, and pH 7.8 ± 0.5, the embryos underwent seven periods of development for 26 stages, taking 25 h10. The total length of the newly hatched larvae was 2.03 ± 0.647 mm, transparent, followed by the larvae period 0–7 d after hatching (DAH), the juvenile period (7–17 DAH), and young fish period (after 17 DAH). The young fish showed similar morphology to adults, and the number of fin rays was as follows: dorsal 19–20, anal 17–18, ventral 1–5, pectoral 18–20, and caudal 17. The allometric growth of golden pompano was observed and different body segments exhibited different allometric growth patterns. The development of visual ability in juvenile golden pompano may precede the development of swimming ability. Therefore, the growth patterns can be a reference of organ differentiation sequence. These results have the potential to enhance the aquaculture techniques for golden pompano and provide a deeper understanding of their behavior and ecology in captive environments. Additionally, this information may serve as a reference for evaluating developmental phenotypes in cultured golden pompano and assist in the development of feeding strategies that align with their growth patterns, ultimately promoting greater efficiency and sustainability in aquaculture practices.