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宋煜，等 水产学报, 2025, 49(11): 119603

[21] 郭仁湘, 符书源, 杨薇, 等. 鞍带石斑鱼仔稚 (幼) 鱼的发育和 development of larva, juvenile and young fish of Epinephelus

生长研究 [J]. 水产养殖, 2011, 32(4): 8-13. lanceolatus[J]. Journal of Aquaculture, 2011, 32(4): 8-13 (in
Guo R X, Fu S Y, Yang W, et al. Study on the growth and Chinese).

Embryonic development and morphological characteristics of larvae and
juveniles of the tomato grouper (Cephalopholis sonnerati)

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SONG Yu , LI Xue , LU Sheng , CHEN Zhangfan , ZHOU Bo , CHEN Youming ,
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LIU Yang , LIANG You , WANG Chongwei , CHEN Songlin 1*
1. State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute,
Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China;
2. College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China;
3. Wanning Linlan Aquaculture Co., Ltd., Wanning 571528, China;
4. Hainan Lanliang Technology Co., Ltd., Sanya 572025 China
Abstract: The tomato grouper (Cephalopholis sonnerati) is a valuable economic fish species in the South China Sea and is
highly sought after by consumers. Investigating the morphometrics and physiology of early life stages (embryos, larvae, juven-
iles) is essential for understanding fish early life history and advancing aquaculture success. This study conducted detailed
observation and research on the embryonic development of fertilized eggs and the morphological characteristics of larvae and
juveniles of C. sonnerati through microscopic observation. The fertilized eggs of C. sonnerati are floating, transparent and
spherical, undergoing development through six major stages that are further subdivided into 24 distinct phases. 3 days post
hatching (dph) larvae switch to exogenous nutrition with the disappearance of the yolk sac. Meanwhile, their tissues and organs
begin to differentiate, and the second dorsal fin spine and the first pelvic fin spine appear. These are signs for late larvae. When
the late larvae develop to 24 dph, the absolute lengths of the second dorsal fin spine and the pelvic fin spine have reached the
maximum value of the larval and juvenile stage. At the same time, their fin rays are formed, and the larvae metamorphose into
juveniles. In the juvenile stage, the growth rate accelerates, and the differentiation of tissue and organ morphology becomes
more complete. This study is the first to report the morphological characteristics and developmental patterns of the embryos,
larvae and juveniles of C. sonnerati, providing a theoretical basis for the large-scale breeding of C. sonnerati.

Key words: Cephalopholis sonnerati; embryonic development; larvae and juveniles; morphological characteristics; growth per-
formance
Corresponding author: CHEN Songlin. E-mail: chensl@ysfri.ac.cn
Funding projects: National Major Project on Biological Breeding (2023ZD0405502); Shandong Provincial Key Research and
Development Program (2023ZLYS02); the Innovation Platform for Academicians of Hainan Province (YSPTZX202402);
Innovation Team Project of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (CAFS) (2023-TD-23); Shandong Taishan Scholars Pin-
nacle Program Project

https://www.china-fishery.cn 中国水产学会主办 sponsored by China Society of Fisheries
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