Morphological Investigation of Larval Development in Maylandia estherae (Konings, 1995), an Endemic Cichlid Species of Lake Malawi

This study investigates the morphological aspects of larval development in Maylandia estherae, an endemic cichlid species from Lake Malawi. Larvae obtained from mature broodstock were sampled daily from hatching until the juvenile stage, and their morphological development was observed under a micr...

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Main Authors: İhsan Çelik, Pınar Çelik
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Prensip Publishing 2024-05-01
Series:Acta Natura et Scientia
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Online Access:https://prensipjournals.com/ojs/index.php/actanatsci/article/view/249
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author İhsan Çelik
Pınar Çelik
author_facet İhsan Çelik
Pınar Çelik
author_sort İhsan Çelik
collection DOAJ
description This study investigates the morphological aspects of larval development in Maylandia estherae, an endemic cichlid species from Lake Malawi. Larvae obtained from mature broodstock were sampled daily from hatching until the juvenile stage, and their morphological development was observed under a microscope. Important morphological features such as mouth opening, exogenous feeding, free swimming, yolk sac, and pigmentation were observed and photographed. The findings indicate that M. estherae larvae reached the juvenile stage within approximately 20-25 days. Throughout larval development, it was determined that total length and mouth gape gradually increased, the yolk sac was depleted within 12-13 days, and exogenous feeding commenced alongside the development of free-swimming ability. Additionally, significant changes in fin differentiation and pigmentation were observed in the larvae. The larval development duration and morphological characteristics of M. estherae were found to be similar to those of other Malawi cichlid species. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the ontogenetic processes of M. estherae and have implications for aquaculture practices. Furthermore, the results provide a significant contribution to the literature on the larval development of Malawi cichlids and offer insights for future research.
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spelling doaj-art-1971c7ed1d9a4474a3255cdb710d77452025-08-20T03:07:31ZengPrensip PublishingActa Natura et Scientia2718-06382024-05-015110.61326/actanatsci.v5i1.6249Morphological Investigation of Larval Development in Maylandia estherae (Konings, 1995), an Endemic Cichlid Species of Lake Malawiİhsan Çelik0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7831-9175Pınar Çelik1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4417-3574Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology, Department of Aquaculture,17020 Çanakkale, TürkiyeÇanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology, Department of Aquaculture,17020 Çanakkale, Türkiye This study investigates the morphological aspects of larval development in Maylandia estherae, an endemic cichlid species from Lake Malawi. Larvae obtained from mature broodstock were sampled daily from hatching until the juvenile stage, and their morphological development was observed under a microscope. Important morphological features such as mouth opening, exogenous feeding, free swimming, yolk sac, and pigmentation were observed and photographed. The findings indicate that M. estherae larvae reached the juvenile stage within approximately 20-25 days. Throughout larval development, it was determined that total length and mouth gape gradually increased, the yolk sac was depleted within 12-13 days, and exogenous feeding commenced alongside the development of free-swimming ability. Additionally, significant changes in fin differentiation and pigmentation were observed in the larvae. The larval development duration and morphological characteristics of M. estherae were found to be similar to those of other Malawi cichlid species. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the ontogenetic processes of M. estherae and have implications for aquaculture practices. Furthermore, the results provide a significant contribution to the literature on the larval development of Malawi cichlids and offer insights for future research. https://prensipjournals.com/ojs/index.php/actanatsci/article/view/249Maylandia estheraeCichlidaeLake MalawiLarval developmentMorphology
spellingShingle İhsan Çelik
Pınar Çelik
Morphological Investigation of Larval Development in Maylandia estherae (Konings, 1995), an Endemic Cichlid Species of Lake Malawi
Acta Natura et Scientia
Maylandia estherae
Cichlidae
Lake Malawi
Larval development
Morphology
title Morphological Investigation of Larval Development in Maylandia estherae (Konings, 1995), an Endemic Cichlid Species of Lake Malawi
title_full Morphological Investigation of Larval Development in Maylandia estherae (Konings, 1995), an Endemic Cichlid Species of Lake Malawi
title_fullStr Morphological Investigation of Larval Development in Maylandia estherae (Konings, 1995), an Endemic Cichlid Species of Lake Malawi
title_full_unstemmed Morphological Investigation of Larval Development in Maylandia estherae (Konings, 1995), an Endemic Cichlid Species of Lake Malawi
title_short Morphological Investigation of Larval Development in Maylandia estherae (Konings, 1995), an Endemic Cichlid Species of Lake Malawi
title_sort morphological investigation of larval development in maylandia estherae konings 1995 an endemic cichlid species of lake malawi
topic Maylandia estherae
Cichlidae
Lake Malawi
Larval development
Morphology
url https://prensipjournals.com/ojs/index.php/actanatsci/article/view/249
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