To clarify the spatial difference of growth rates of the larval Auxis rochei in the coastal waters off northeastern Taiwan, the larvae were collected by horizontal tows with Maruchi-D larval net by R/V Hai-chien at the sea surface of 3 estuaries in daytime in summer of 2009. Based on the analysis of daily increments in the otoliths, frequency of body lengths, daily ages, growth rates and length at hatching of the larvae were different among estuaries. The body lengths, daily ages, and age-length keys of the larvae were 2.2-7.1 mm, 5-15 days and BL (mm) = 2.2 + 0.3 D (BL, body length; D, daily age; r² =0.73; n=50) that caught from the Hualian Estuary; were 3.5-7.0 mm, 5-10 days and BL = 1.3 + 0.5 D (r²=0.43, n=30) that from the Dezikou Estuary; were 3.9-6.9 mm, 7-14 days and BL = 3.0 + 0.2 D (r²=0.68, n=30) that from Lanyan Estuary. Pearson’s correlation coefficients indicated that the differences were caused by the temperature and concentrations of phosphate in the sea surface of these estuaries.