• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.551-556
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• 2002

We have experimentally evaluated the content of thyroid hormones (THs), the growth and activity of larval rockfish (Sebastes schiegeli) born from parturient mother fish injected with 20 $\mu$g/g BW of 3,5,3-triiodo-L-thyronine ($T_{3}$). There was no difference of L-thyroxine ($T_{4}$) levels between controls (sham control and control) and $T_{3}$ groups in yolk-sac larvae just born from broodstock, while $T_{3}$level of $T_{3}$ group was significantly increased compared with controls. In addition, the both larval $T_{3}$ and $T_{4}$ levels in $T_{3}$ group were always higher than those of control during experimental period. Also, there were significant differences in the development of larvae from the two groups. The larval growth in total length and body weight according to the elapsed days after parturition showed the linear and curve equations, respectively, and the slopes of $T_{3}$ group were significantly higher than those of control. The survival rate of larvae in $T_{3}$ group was higher than that of control. Although the survival rate in $T_{3}$ group under the condition of starvation was significantly depressed compared with the control, larval swimming index in $T_{3}$ group was higher than control. Finally, these findings suggest that the exogenous $T_{3}$ could be transferred into hatched larvae in parturient rockfish by maternal injection, and subsequently the exogenous hormone could play some roles on physiological metabolism of larvae after parturition and may confer a distinct advantage to the fragile larvae during the early developmental stage.