Investigating the relationship among abnormal patterns of cell cleavage, egg mortality and early larval condition in Limanda ferruginea

Normal (symmetrically cleaving) and abnormal (non‐symmetrically cleaving) eggs were selected from four batches of eggs from three yellowtail flounder Limanda ferruginea, and reared in Petri dishes as paired replicates under controlled conditions. Mortality rates were significantly higher in early (day 0–3) but not later (day 4–9) embryogenesis in abnormal eggs when compared to the normal eggs. Early larval morphology was not different between the two groups, but larvae from normal eggs were significantly longer than those from abnormal eggs (P < 0·05).