was about
125 µm wide when feeding started 2 days after
hatching on rotifers. Maneewong et al. (1986)
reported the mouth size of the larval grouper,
Epinephelus malabaricus (Bloch and Schneider),
was 169.7±16.1 µm when it was first able to con-
sume rotifers with size of 91-100 µm width. Mouth
size appears to be the limiting factor in juvenile
fish feeding on both natural and pellet diets (Hyatt,
1979). Nash et al. (1974) reported the mouths of
larval mullet, Mugil cephalus, was open when the
jaws are becoming ossified and eye pigment is
sufficiently developed. Larvae with small mouths
grew more slowly than those with larger ones
(Shirota, 1970 and Arumugum and Geddes, 1987).