The larval stage is a critical period in the life history of fish. However, the environmental conditions and biotic interactions that larval fish experience can subsequently impact their future performance and survival. The idea of how early life experiences can influence later life stage success, otherwise known as carryover effects, has received strong support across studies in marine species, but this has been seldom explored in freshwater species. I will compare early life otolith (fish ear stone) measurements from paired cohorts of larval and juvenile freshwater fish species in Australia to determine whether certain larval growth trajectories translate into greater juvenile recruitment success. To complement this work, I will also test if differences in food source of larval fish could influence the capacity of fish to achieve faster growth rates. Here I will compare stable isotope analyses of larval fish tissue with aquatic and riparian derived primary producers, as well as primary aquatic consumers such as zooplankton. In this project, I aim to fill an important knowledge gap by determining which early life growth trajectories and environmental conditions are conducive to the recruitment success of various Australian freshwater fish.