No, fish eggs are not baby fish. They are eggs containing fish embryos. Only after hatching do they become baby fish, specifically in a stage known as alevin.
Think of it like chicken eggs:
- The egg contains a developing chick embryo.
- Only after the egg hatches is there a baby chick.
Similarly, fish eggs contain developing fish embryos. The developmental stages can be visualized, as demonstrated by the "eye up" stage, where visible eyes develop within the egg after about 30 days. After the egg hatches, the baby fish emerges, and is called an alevin, about 40 days after fertilization.
So, in short, the fish egg contains the potential for a baby fish, but it's not a baby fish itself until it hatches.
