Abstract
The early development, growth, and morphological changes of Tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes are described on the basis of a seres of a series of reared specimens. Detailed o수 the early developmental stages are illusrtated withe special reference to morphological transformation. Egg and sperm of puffer fish Takifugu rubripes were obtained from mature adults under natural conditions, ferilized artificially and incubated in the laboratory. The incubation period of fertilizd eggs was 160 to 180 hours at a temperature of $15.1~ 18.0^{\circ}C$. Larvae were fed successively with rotifer, Artemia nauplii and artificial food for 90 days. The mean total length of newly-hatched larvae was about 2.8mm. Mouth opening occurred on the 1- day yolk-sac larvae and initial feeding was observed on th 4-5 days after hatching . The morphological transitions from the larvae to juvenile and juvenile and juvenile to young stages occurred when fish reached about 10mm in total length(about 30 days after hatching) and about 32mm in total length(about 60days after hatching) , respectively. The coefficient of variation in total length distribution increased with growth. Following the appearance of its peak at the size of about 18mm in total length, the coefficient value declined. Many changes in proportion of the body parts to total length were observed at about 9~10mm and 30~33mm in total length, corresponding to the transformations from larvae to juvenile and from juvenile to young, respectively. Also one big morphological change was observed at about 18mm in total length that divide the juvenile stage into two sub-stages.
