ABSENCE OF SIZE-SELECTIVE MORTALITY AMONG LARVAL SMALLMOUTH BASS IN AVIRGINIA STREAM

In 1990 and 1991, we collected larval smallmouth bass Micropterus dolo mieu 7-25 d after swim-up and juveniles 5-9 weeks after swim-up. Using otolith analysis, we compared the size distributions of larvae and ju veniles at identical life stages (6, 12, and 24 d after swim-up). In b oth years, there was little evidence to suggest that the individuals t hat survived to become juveniles were statistically larger than the av erage larvae at any stage. Larval smallmouth bass in this system were probably most susceptible to predators that were not gape-limited and therefore did not experience size-selective mortality.