DEVELOPMENT CHANGES IN THE ESCAPE RESPONSE OF LARVAL WINTER FLOUNDER PLEURONECTES-AMERICANUS FROM HATCH THROUGH METAMORPHOSIS

A predatory amphipod (Calliopius laeviusculus) was used to elicit escape responses in larval winter flounder Pleuronectes americanus ranging in age from time of hatch to metamorphosis. The escape response observed consisted of fast c-start type acceleration followed by a period of burst swimming. Mean and maximum speed over the duration of the response increased linearly with larval total length. Total distance travelled by the larvae during the response was also positively linearly related to larval total length. Despite the extensive morphological reorganization that larval flounder undergo during metamorphosis, we did not find any decrease in escape response parameters of larvae during metamorphosis. Larval winter flounder displayed lower mean escape speeds than many other organisms found in the plankton. Size-specific mean escape speeds of larval flounder are lower than those reported for other species of larval fish.