Histological Study of Organogenesis in the Young Stages of the Mesopelagic Fish Vinciguerria (Photichthyidae, Pisces)

This study reports on an investigation on the sequence of ontogenetic processes in larvae of the mesopelagic genus Vinciguerria (Photichthyidae) by using standard histological techniques. The goal was to create a grading system to relate data of a subsequent analysis on the larval nutritional condition to individual developmental stage. Five developmental stages were classified considering different appearances of the alimentary tract and its associated organs. Since organogenesis proceeds continually, the study shows an alternative method for identifying developmental differences in marine fish larvae.