DUNN: DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF LEUROGLOSSUS SCHMIDTI 



B 



Figure \.—Leuroglossus schmidti: A. Larva 6.3 mm SL; 

 B. larva 7.1 mm SL; C. larva 11.7 mm SL: D. dorsal view of 

 head of 14.6 mm SL larva. 



1 mm 



tral terminus of the notochord. Dorsal pigment 

 tends to disappear before the pigment on the ven- 

 tral surface, and notochord pigment is usually 

 lacking in larvae longer than 13 mm. Flexion 

 larvae (13-18 mm) either lack pigment in the 

 postanal region or have a single melanophore in 

 the caudal peduncle region. Postflexion larvae 

 18-21 mm have zero to two melanophores on the 

 caudal peduncle; larvae from about 22 mm until 

 transformation usually have two lateral melano- 

 phores, one on the caudal peduncle and one near 

 the base of the caudal fin rays. After transforma- 

 tion, the juveniles become heavily pigmented 

 with the postanal region covered with small 

 melanophores. 



Morphology 



(Tables 1, 2) 



Larvae of L. schmidti are slender, their great- 

 est body depth (about 7-10% SL) occurring at the 

 pectoral fin base. The gut is relatively long, 



about 75% SL. Notochord flexion begins at about 

 13 mm and is completed by 18 mm, although the 

 notochord extends poster iad of the hypural bones 

 until transformation (about 31-35 mm). Larvae 

 have a distinctive protruding lower jaw, notice- 

 able at about 7 mm, which becomes more pointed 

 with ontogeny (Figs. 1-3). Eyes are borne on 

 stalks, most noticeable in late flexion larvae (Fig. 

 ID). 



The snout to anus length ranges from about 

 72% SL in preflexion larvae to nearly 78% SL in 

 postflexion larvae; it is about 74% SL in trans- 

 formed juveniles. Head length increases as a pro- 

 portion of standard length from nearly 16% in 

 preflexion larvae to about 29% in transformed 

 juveniles. The eyes are narrow and oblong in lar- 

 vae. Eye height as a percentage of head length 

 decreases from 39% in preflexion larvae to about 

 25% in postflexion larvae. Eye width declines as a 

 percentage of head length from nearly 30% in 

 preflexion larvae to about 20% in postflexion lar- 

 vae. 



Interorbital width remains relatively constant, 



27 



