Abstract
Pike-perch Stizostedion lucioperca larvae fasted or given two diets (artificial feed, zooplankton) were studied by transmission electron microscopy and using specific cytological dyes. The objective of this work was to assess the changes in the yolk sac, liver and anterior intestine following the mouth opening stage (95° C.d, day 5 - 5.8 mm) from endo - to exotrophy periods. The yolk sac included a syncytial envelope closely bound to the proteinaceous vitelllus ans the oil globule. Its development was similar to that observed in trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss and Salmo fario trutta) and sea-bream (Sparusaurata), but without vitellus fragmentation into platelets. Although zooplankton appeared to have better nutritional qualities than the artificial feed,these two foods proved to be quite unsatisfactory as they induced liver cell changes typical of food deficiency, generally observed in starving larvae.