| Summary: | Using a radioimmunoassay it could be demonstrated that the content of trypsin and trypsinogen in cod larvae increased markedly during the first 4 days after hatching. In the same period the trypsin activity, measured by the conventional method, was constant, but increased considerably on day 5. At that time the larvae were ready for the first feed intake. After day 5 the total quantity of trypsin and trypsinogen dropped again, independent of whether the larvae received any food or not. Larvae offered food which supported growth, started to produce trypsin and trypsinogen, whereas, in starving larvae and those offered incomplete diets, the level of trypsin and trypsinogen remained very low. We have concluded that the radioimmunoassay is a convenient and sensitive method for the quantitative determination of trypsin and trypsinogen in very small samples, and that the level of trypsin ard trypsinogen may be used as an index of the feeding status and growth potential of tne larvae.
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