Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Ectothermic organisms like fish have metabolic rates that are directly influenced by the ambient environmental temperature.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The yolk-sac provides essential nutrients to newly hatched fish larvae.
When the rearing temperature is high, the metabolic and developmental rates of the larvae increase.
This accelerated metabolism causes the larvae to consume their yolk reserves much faster, leading to a shorter duration of yolk-sac absorption.
Conversely, lower temperatures slow down metabolism and extend the absorption phase.
Since an increase in temperature leads to a decrease in absorption duration, the relationship is inverse.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The relationship between rearing temperature and yolk-sac absorption duration is inverse.