| Early larvae have few in postanal ventral pigment series, no dorsal series, and heavily pigmented pectoral fins; pectoral fins relatively short until postflexion stage when it becomes somewhat fan-like; pectoral fins, pelvic fins and first dorsal fin heavily pigmented; head spines relatively strong; pelagic juveniles with distinct pattern of saddles and bars.
Pigmentation:
Preflexion: initially, dorsally and ventrally on gut, anteriorly on lower jaw, on nape, inner surfaces of pectoral fin and pelvic fin blades, and 6-14 in postanal ventral series (usually from 4th-5th to 14th-15th postanal myomere); by 5.0 mm, on optic and cerebellar lobes of brain in most specimens, 1 at hypurals in some; by 7.0 mm, on pelvic fins, embedded anterior to cleithra, and solid between pectoral fin rays.
Flexion: continuous from nape to anterior gut; solid over entire brain; solid between pelvic fin rays.
Postflexion: by 10.0 mm, at nasal and upper opercular regions, along upper jaw, on dorsum from nape to dorsal fin insertion, and on first dorsal fin; by 12.0 mm, on dorsal and anal fin pterygiophores, a patch posteroventral to eye, and saddles developing on first dorsal and second dorsal fins.
Pelagic juveniles: first dorsal fin solid; pectoral fins solid except near base; pelvic fins solid; head covered; 3 saddles below first dorsal fin; bar between second dorsal and anal fins, extending onto fins; bar on caudal peduncle.
Sequence of fin development: pectorals, caudal and dorsal and anal and pelvics.
Also Ref. 34817. |