For greatest survival, first-feeding halibut Paralichthys californicus and diamond turbot Hypsopsetta guttulata required food by the day of total yolk absorption. Some halibut larvae survived if fed 1 or 2 d after yolk depletion, but their growth rate was significantly less than larvae fed earlier. Survival of 3-wk-old larvae was greater in treatments with shorter starvation periods. A small percentage of 3-wk-old halibut larvae recovered from a maximum starvation period of 4 d while 3-wk-old diamond turbot successfully resumed feeding any time during food deprivation intervals lasting up to 9 d. Longer periods of starvation resulted in significant morphological differences – diamond turbot starved longer were not only smaller, but also less developed. In the field, larvae may experience varying periods of food deprivation due to differing spatial and temporal prey patch distributions. Our results demonstrate that differences in starvation resistance, and possibly mortality under patchy feeding conditions, are ontogenetic and species-specific.
