| In early preflexion larvae, heavy pigment on head, dorsum, ventral margin of tail, and jaws; in later preflexion larvae, pigment on nares and on lateral midline of tail (on surface and internally); pectoral fin lacks pigment; weakly developed parietal, postocular, pterotic, and preopercular spines.
Pigmentation:
Preflexion: initially, on midbrain, on lower jaw tip (some specimens), laterally on upper and lower jaws (some specimens), on nape, dorsally and ventrally on gut, 1 anterior to anus, about 35-50 in series on dorsum (from nape to posteriormost myomere), heavy on entire ventral margin of tail, on lateral midline of tail (some specimens), laterally at cleithrum (some specimens), at angular (some specimens), and on forebrain (some specimens); by 5.0 mm, lower jaw tip and laterally on upper and lower jaws (most specimens), lateral midline of tail (most specimens), laterally on gut (most specimens), laterally on cleithrum (most specimens), otic region (most specimens), and at nares (some specimens).
Flexion: more on head and nape; up to 90 in series on dorsum; series on ventral margin of tail becoming embedded; more in lateral midline series; internally above spinal column on tail; lacking on pectoral fins.
Juvenile: heavy on head, except on cheek; heavy on body, except ventrally on gut; basally on second dorsal, anal, and pelvics; at mid-region of first dorsal fin. |
