Preface -- Contents -- List of Contributors -- PART 1-Ontogeny -- Chapter 1. Pattern Formation -- INTRODUCTION -- EARLY PATTERN FORMATION -- Pre-cleavage Patterning -- Cleavage -- The Early Blastula and the Yolk Syncytial Layer -- EPIBOLY AND GASTRULATION -- Mesodermal and Endodermal Specification -- Convergent-extension and the Fish "Organiser" -- DIFFERENTIATION OF THE GERM LAYERS -- Organogenesis in the Mesoderm -- Organogenesis in the Ectoderm -- Organogenesis in the Endoderm -- HOX GENES, SEGMENTAL PATTERNING AND THE EVOLUTION OF AXIAL COMPLEXITY -- FUTURE PERSPECTIVES -- References -- Chapter 2. Pigmentation -- INTRODUCTION -- CHROMATOPHORES -- GENETIC AND GENOMIC RESOURCES FOR STUDYING FISH PIGMENTATION -- ORIGIN OF CHROMATOPHORES FROM THE NEURAL CREST -- EMBRYONIC CHROMATOPHORES AND PIGMENT PATTERN FORMATION -- Specification of Chromatophore Lineages -- Mechanisms of Embryonic/Early Larval Pigment Pattern Development -- ADULT PIGMENT PATTERN FORMATION -- Genetic Requirements of Adult Chromatophore Development -- Cellular and Physiological Mechanisms of Adult Pigment Pattern Development and Homeostasis -- FUTURE PERSPECTIVES -- References -- Chapter 3. Bioluminescence -- INTRODUCTION -- PHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS FOR LIGHT PRODUCTION -- A TAXONOMIC SURVEY OF LARVAL BIOLUMINESCENCE -- Order Saccopharyngiformes -- Order Anguilliformes -- Order Clupeiformes -- Order Argentiniformes -- Suborder Alepocephaloidei -- Order Stomiiformes -- Order Auopiformes -- Order Myctophiformes -- Order Gadiformes -- Order Batrachoidiformes -- Order Lophiiformes -- Order Beryciformes -- Order Perciformes -- FUNCTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF BIOLUMINESCENCE IN LARVAL FISHES -- FUTURE PERSPECTIVES -- References -- PART 2-Respiration Homeostasis -- Chapter 4. Gas Exchange -- INTRODUCTION -- THE PRINCIPLES OF GAS EXCHANGE -- EGGS -- Egg Size and Egg Position in a Clutch.

The Chorion as a Diffusion Barrier -- Unstirred Layers -- THE SITE OF GAS EXCHANGE -- OXYGEN UPTAKE -- The Influence of Hypoxia -- Hypoxia and Ventilation -- Hypoxia and Haemoglobin Function -- TEMPERATURE EFFECTS -- FUTURE PERSPECTIVES -- References -- Chapter 5. Cardiovascular Anatomy and Physiology -- INTRODUCTION -- Environmental Challenges to Survival -- Anatomical/Physiological Challenges to Survival -- The Changing Role of the Circulation during the Embryonic to Larval Transition -- CARDIOVASCULAR DEVELOPMENT -- Heart Formation -- Conduction System of the Heart -- Vasculogenesis and Angiogenesis -- Vascular Structure and Patterns -- Ontogeny of Haematopoiesis -- Ontogeny of Haemoglobin and Respiratory Gas Transport -- ONTOGENY OF CARDIOVASCULAR REGULATION -- Ontogeny of Heart Regulation -- Metronomic phase of larval heart/Cardiovascular function -- Regulated phase of larval heart function -- Peripheral Vascular Regulation -- Microcirculatory Autoregulation -- CARDIOVASCULAR PERFORMANCE OF LARVAL FISHES -- Baseline Function -- Heart rate -- Blood pressure -- Stroke volume and cardiac output -- Responses to Environmental Challenges -- Temperature -- Water current [acute and chronic swim training! -- Hypoxia -- CARDIOVASCULAR DIVERSITY AMONG LARVAL FISHES -- Diversity in Branchial Structure -- Diversity in Respiration-Circulatory Support for Air Breathing -- MEASURING CARDIOVASCULAR DEVELOPMENT IN LARVAL FISHES -- FUTURE PERSPECTIVES -- References -- Chapter 6. Osmo- and Ionoregulation -- INTRODUCTION -- OSMOREGULATION DURING EARLY LIFE STAGES -- Development of Osmoregulatory Organs during Early Life Stages of Teleosts -- Osmoregulatory Ability of Teleost Embryos -- Extrabranchial Chloride Cells in Embryos and Larvae -- CHLORIDE CELLS IN THE YOLK-SAC MEMBRANE OF MOZAMBIQUE TILAPIA -- Detection of Chloride Cells.

Freshwater- and Seawater-type Chloride Cells -- Ion-secreting and Absorbing Functions of Chloride Cells -- Functional Differentiation of Chloride Cells -- Functional Classification of Chloride Cells -- "YOLK BALL" INCUBATION SYSTEM -- POSSIBLE OSMORECEPTION BY CHLORIDE CELLS -- FUTURE PERSPECTIVES -- References -- Chapter 7. Acid-base Balance -- INTRODUCTION -- MECHANISMS OF ACID-BASE REGULATION IN JUVENILE AND ADULT FISH -- Whole Animal Acid-base Regulation -- Cellular Processes and Transporters Associated with Acid-base Regulation -- MECHANISMS OF ACID-BASE REGULATION IN EARLY LIFE STAGES -- Whole Animal Acid-base Regulation Shortly Following Fertilisation -- Whole Animal Acid-base Regulation Following Hatch -- Cellular Processes and Transporters Associated with Acid-base Regulation -- ACID-BASE REGULATION IN RELATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT IN EARLY LIFE STAGES -- FUTURE PERSPECTIVES -- References -- PART 3-Nutrition and Energy -- Chapter 8. Digestion -- INTRODUCTION -- DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERNS-MORPHOLOGY AND HISTOLOGY -- The Digestive Tract -- Intestine -- Stomach -- Pyloric caeca -- Midgut -- Hindgut/rectum -- Accessory Digestive Organs -- Pancreas -- Liver -- Gallbladder -- INGESTION AND GUT TRANSIT RATES -- Prey Density, Food Intake, Gut Transit Time and Digestive Efficiency -- Effect of Prey Type -- Effect of Dietary Nutrient Composition -- DIGESTION -- Digestion of Proteins, Peptides and Amino Acids -- Processes and mechanisms -- Changes in proteolytic activity during larval development -- Larval proteolytic capacity -- Digestion of Lipids -- Processes and mechanisms -- Lipolytic capacity during larval development -- Lipolytic efficiency -- ABSORPTION -- Absorption of Proteins, Peptides and Amino Acids -- Processes and mechanisms -- Effect of the degree of protein hydrolysis on absorption rates -- Absorption of Lipids -- Processes and mechanisms.

Efficiency -- FUTURE PERSPECTIVES -- References -- Chapter 9. Nitrogen Excretion -- INTRODUCTION -- Generation of Nitrogenous End-products -- Constraints on Nitrogen Excretion -- CLASSES OF EXCRETED NITROGENOUS COMPOUNDS -- Properties and Toxicity of Ammonia -- Properties of Urea -- Partitioning between Nitrogenous End-products -- METABOLIC ORIGINS OF EXCRETED NITROGEN -- Pathways for Ammonia Synthesis -- Transfer and deamination of amino groups -- Nucleotide metabolism -- Pathways for Urea Synthesis -- Urea synthetic pathways that can detoxify ammonia -- Pathways for urea synthesis that cannot detoxify ammonia -- MECHANISMS AND PATTERNS OF NITROGEN EXCRETION -- Ammonia -- Ammonia excretion -- Ammonia accumulation -- Compartments for ammonia accumulation -- Urea -- Urea excretion mechanisms -- Patterns of urea excretion and accumulation -- EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENT AND NUTRITION ON NITROGEN EXCRETION -- Environmental Ammonia -- Water pH -- Ionic Strength -- Feed Intake and Nutrient Composition -- FUTURE PERSPECTIVES -- References -- PART 4-Sensory Physiolosy -- Chapter 10. Mechanoreception -- INTRODUCTION -- FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY: ADULT FISH -- A Common Mechanosensory Receptor -- The Sensory Cell Displacement Stimulus -- The Mechanosensory Lateral Line -- The Inner Ear -- DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION: LARVAE -- Embryonic Origins -- The Mechanosensory Lateral Line -- Post-embryonic development -- Role in Feeding -- Role in predator evasion -- Role in orientation behaviours -- The Inner Ear -- Post-embryonic development and physiology -- Hearing in the orientation to reefs by settlement-stage reef larvae -- FUTURE PERSPECTIVES -- References -- Chapter 11. Chemoreception -- INTRODUCTION -- OLFACTION -- Embryogenesis -- Olfactory placode -- Olfactory pit and nostrils -- Olfactory epithelium -- Olfactory sensory neurones -- Lamellae and olfactory rosette.

Secondary lamellae -- Goblet cells -- Accessory sacs -- Olfactory organ migration -- Pioneer neurones and formation of the olfactory nerve -- Olfactory bulb, tract, and secondary olfactory centres -- Odorant receptors [ORs) -- Function -- Chemokinesis -- Alarm chemical signals -- Food chemical signals -- Other types of chemical signals -- GUSTATION -- Morphology of Gustatory System in Adult -- Embryonic Origin of Taste Buds -- Embryogenesis -- Taste bud formation -- Taste bud appearance in relation to first-feeding -- Development of primary gustatory centres -- Taste bud innervation -- Taste bud spreading -- Barbels -- Growth and abundance of taste buds -- Ecological adaptations -- Function -- Taste preferences -- Thresholds -- SOLITARY CHEMOSENSORY CELLS (SCC) -- FUTURE PERSPECTIVES -- References -- Chapter 12. Photoreception -- INTRODUCTION -- OCULAR AND RETINAL ANATOMY -- Ocular Development -- Spectral Sensitivity Changes during the Larval Period -- Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) -- Zebra fish (Danio rerio] -- Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) -- Salmonids -- Cichlids -- Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) -- STRUCTURAL CHANGES DURING THE LARVAL PERIOD -- Indirect Development -- Intermediate Development -- Direct Development -- VISUAL ACUITY -- RETINOMOTOR MOVEMENTS -- FUTURE PERSPECTIVES -- References -- Chapter 13. Electroreception -- INTRODUCTION -- ELECTRORECEPTION IN FISH LARVAE -- Lampreys (Agnatha) -- Lungfishes (Dipnoi) -- Bichirs and Reedfish, (Polypteriformes) -- Sturgeons and Paddlefishes (Chondrostei) -- Acipenseridae -- Polyodontidae -- Teleostei -- Osteoglossomorpha -- Xenomystinae -- Aba (Gymnarchus niloticus, Gymnarchidae) -- Mormyridae -- Siluriformes -- Gymnotiformes -- Glass knife fish (Eigenmannia lineata) -- Long nosedblack ghost (Apteronotus leptorhynchus) -- FUTURE PERSPECTIVES -- References.

Chapter 14. Magnetoreception.