The growth and daily prey depletion rates of inland silverside (Menidia beryllina (Cope)) larvae fed different rations (0, 25, 50, 100, or 150 percent of the fishes' initial wet weight) of Artemia nauplii during the period 7 days to 14 days post-hatch were investigated. Instantaneous growth rates ranged from -0.174 day for unfed fish, to 0.181 day for fish fed the 150% ration. Relative consumption rates increased from 0.179 (mg food (mg fish) day) at the lowest ration (25%) to 0.440 (mg food (mg fish) day) at the highest ration (150%) and were linearly related to relative growth rates (mg (mg fish) day) across the range of consumption rates studied. On one day of the 7-day study, the within-day patterns of food depletion by the fish also were examined with image analysis. Fish ingested food at a constant rate, as long as it was available, up to 11 h of feeding. On average, depletion rates in the first 4 h of feeding were not significantly different among fish fed the four rations; however, the depletion rates of the fish fed the 150% ration were significantly higher during the second 4 h of feeding than during the first 4 h. The results provide information for the calculation of a preliminary energy budget for M. beryllina, and also provide aquatic toxicologists with information for the conduct of standard effluent toxicity tests. The daily ration prescribed in the current standard method is approximately three times the amount that can actually be ingested by the larvae. (Copyright (c) 1993 Elsevier Science Publishers BV.)