Absence of Size-Selective Mortality among Larval Smallmouth Bass in a Virginia Stream

In 1990 and 1991, we collected larval smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu 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 juveniles at identical life stages (6, 12, and 24 d after swim-up). In both years, there was little evidence to suggest that the individuals that survived to become juveniles were statistically larger than the average 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.