FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 70, NO. 3 



in the series are visible along the ventral margin 

 of the caudal peduncle while more anterior mel- 

 anophores of the series are barely visible above 

 the developing anal fin. 



The paired fins are strikingly pigmented. Mel- 

 anophores are added continuously to the rayed 

 portion of the pectoral fin but are scattered until 

 the larvae are about 7.0 mm long (Figure IC) 

 when they become concentrated on the mem- 

 branous portions of the fins between the devel- 

 oping rays and give the fins a striated appear- 

 ance that remains throughout the larval period. 

 The base of the pectoral fin remains heavily pig- 

 mented only on the medial surface. Melano- 

 phores begin to appear on the pelvic fins in lar- 

 vae about 7.0 mm long and form a striated pat- 

 tern like the pectorals when the lai-vae reach a 

 length of about 8.5 mm. 



The median fins develop pigmentation consid- 

 erably later in the larval period. When larvae 

 reach about 9.0-mm length (Figures ID, E), the 

 melanophore patch on the nape begins to expand 

 posteriad along the dorsal midline to form an 

 elongated patch at the base of the spinous dorsal 

 fin. A separate elongated patch of melanophores 

 develops at the base of the soft dorsal fin and the 

 two become connected by a narrow bridge of 

 melanophores when the larvae reach about 10.0 

 mm. Melanophores begin to form on the an- 

 terior portion of the spinous dorsal fin when the 

 larvae are about 9.0 mm long. Gradually the 

 pigmented area of the fin enlarges until the en- 

 tire spinous dorsal is pigmented in larvae longer 

 than 15.0 mm (Figure 2B). Pigment on the 

 soft dorsal fin is limited to a series of melano- 

 phores that covers the distal radial elements of 

 the fin base. These melanophores begin to ap- 

 pear in 11-mm larvae and cover nearly all the 

 radial elements when the larvae reach 15.0 mm 

 (Figures 2A, B). A similar series of melano- 

 phores develops along the anal fin base when the 

 larvae reach 12.0-mm length. One to several 

 melanophores appear at the posterior margin of 

 the hypural elements. In pelagic juveniles other 

 melanophores are added here to form a vertical 

 line (Figures 3B, 4A). 



The beginnings of the juvenile pigment pat- 

 tern appear in larvae 15.0 to 16.0 mm long when 

 saddles of melanistic pigment start to develop 



ventrad from the elongate patches that lie along 

 the dorsal fin base (Figures 2B, 3A). The first 

 of these extends ventroanteriad from the origin 

 of the dorsal fin to meet with the melanistic 

 blotch on the opercle. A second saddle extends 

 from the middle region of the spinous dorsal fin 

 ventrad to overlie the lateral line, as does a third 

 saddle which extends ventrad from the base of 

 the soft dorsal fin. 



These melanistic saddles become further de- 

 veloped in pelagic juveniles. In a 22.6-mm ju- 

 venile the pigment saddle at the soft dorsal fin 

 extends almost to the base of the anal fin, and a 

 fourth saddle is present at the caudal peduncle. 

 In a 29.2-mm specimen (Figure 3B) the broad 

 band at the soft dorsal is continuous and extends 

 onto the rays of the dorsal and anal fins. The 

 band at the caudal peduncle also extends to the 

 ventral midline. Also, in this specimen, an ad- 

 ditional saddle is present below the posterior end 

 of the spinous dorsal fin, just posterior to the 

 one located below the middle of the fin. In the 

 largest pelagic juveniles (33-44 mm) the most 

 anterior bar at the origin of the dorsal fin is 

 obliterated as it becomes continuous with the 

 solidly pigmented dorsal region of the head (Fig- 

 ure 4A) . Melanistic pigment on the fins is aug- 

 mented in pelagic juveniles. The entire spinous 

 dorsal is dark and has a black margin whereas 

 only the basal regions of the soft dorsal and anal 

 fins are covered with melanophores. The caudal 

 fin lacks melanophores. The pelvic fins remain 

 pigmented as in late-stage larvae; however, a 

 zone without melanophores develops on the basal 

 third of each pectoral fin. 



The melanistic pigment pattern of the smallest 

 demersal juveniles (60 mm SL) remains essen- 

 tially like that of pelagic juveniles (Figure 4). 

 The smallest fresh specimens examined were 150 

 mm SL. In these the melanistic saddles and 

 bands are separated by dusky areas above the 

 horizontal septa. Below the septa, the back- 

 ground color is crimson, as is the lateral line and 

 the head below the ventral markin of the orbit. 

 The spinous dorsal fin is dusky with a black mar- 

 gin whereas the soft dorsal has a dusky base, 

 a black central zone, and a pale margin. The 

 caudal, anal, pelvic, and pectoral fins have crim- 

 son rays alternating with black between the rays. 



950 



