ABSTRACT
The vast majority of marine, teleost fishes undergo a life history phase involving some kind of larval stage, typically spending at least some time in the open ocean. Survival of larval fishes is very low, and even small changes in survival rates can have a substantial influence on the success of a cohort and subsequent levels of recruitment into the adult population. Small size at birth makes larval fishes highly vulnerable to predation and the rapid development of swimming capabilities is essential for escaping from predators. The ecological relevance of swimming ability to larvae can be divided into three important aspects of larval behaviour: escaping, foraging and their behavioural influence on spatial location. Considerable differences occur among taxa, and perhaps among tropical and temperate regions, in the swimming speeds exhibited by larvae. A greater understanding of larval swimming abilities and behaviour on a large spatial scale is crucial for developing accurate bio-physical models of dispersal and connectivity.
