Acute effects of kaolinite suspension on eggs and larvae of some marine teleosts.

To evaluate the effects of suspended inert particles on the early life stages of the eggs and larvae of four marine fish species, Pagrus major, Acanthopagrus schlegeli, Oplegnathus fasciatus and Parapristipoma trilineatum were exposed to kaolinite suspensions up to 10,000 mg l-1. Hatching success and developmental rates of eggs all species were not significantly affected by 10,000 mg l-1 suspension over a 24-h exposure period. Exposure of larvae of each species to suspensions ranging from 32 to 10,000 mg l-1 for 1, 3 and 12 h, however, resulted in over 50% mortality at 1000 mg l-1 for 12 h. Larvae were much less tolerant to kaolinite exposure than eggs probably due to their relatively larger and more delicate body surface compared to the tough outer membrane of eggs. Kaolinite particles adhered more readily to eggs and larvae of P. major than to those of the other species.