Top Staff: Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup

This Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) larva, is approximately 39 hours old and less than 1.5 mm in length. It was spawned at the Harbor Branch aquaculture facility on October 2nd, 2024. At this early stage, it has developed a rudimentary gut and its first few pigment cells but has yet to form a functional mouth. Over the next few days, its digestive system will mature, its yolk sac will be absorbed, and its mouth will develop, allowing it to start eating on its own. These fish are part of an experiment aimed at making larval culture more sustainable and cost-effective by eliminating the use of planktonic organisms as feed.