FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 70, NO. 4 



are large. The caudal fin outline varies from 

 rounded to trilobed, with one upper ray produced 

 in larger specimens. 



Head Length 



Between 2 and 4 mm head length averaged 

 about 33 9f of SL. At 5 mm it reached 37-38% 

 where it remained through 12 mm. Almost all 

 values lie between 30 and 40% , except in a few 

 larvae smaller than 5 mm where precise measure- 

 ment is difficult. The juveniles demonstrate a 

 continuing trend toward a longer head ranging 

 from 34 to 45% of SL. Miller (1959) gives 40- 

 41% as the proportion in his specimens (Fig- 

 ure 4A). 



Eye Length 



Eye length remained constant throughout 

 larval development at about 9-10 Cr of SL. Most 

 juveniles as well as Miller's (1959) adult spe- 

 cimens also ranged from 9 to 10% (Figure 4B) . 



Snout Length 



In larvae between 2 and 6 mm snout length in- 

 creased from 6 to 11% of SL where it holds 

 through adulthood (Miller, 1959) (Figure 4C). 



35r B 



< 



Q 



Z 



10 



K 40 



35 - 



20 



30 40 50 60 70 



MEAN STANDARD LENGTH (mm) 



80 "ADULT 



Figure 4. — Body proportions of black sea bass associ- 

 ated with the head plotted as percentages of standard 

 length. A) head length; B) eye length; C) snout 

 length. Each point represents the mean of several ob- 

 servations. "Adult" points from Miller (1959). 



65 - A - PRE AN AL LENGTH 



50- 



BODY DEPTH 



10 20 30 40 50 



MEAN STANDARD LENGTH (mm) 



Figure 5. — Body proportions of black sea bass associated 

 with the trunk plotted as percentages of standard length. 

 A) preanal length; B) body depth. Each point repre- 

 sents the mean of several observations. "Adult" points 

 from Miller (1959). 



Preanal Length 



The preanal length increases from about 50 % 

 of SL at 5 mm to 58% at 10 mm. During ju- 

 venile development it increases to nearly 65% 

 (Figure 5A). 



Body Depth 



Relative to standard length, body depth in- 

 creases from about 25 to 27% during larval de- 

 velopment. During the juvenile stage it con- 

 tinues to increase to about 30%- (Figure 5B). 

 The adult proportion is about 34% (Miller, 

 1959). 



Total Length 



Total length is 102% of SL from 2 to 5 mm. 

 As caudal fin development proceeds total length 

 becomes a larger portion of standard length, 

 reaching 120% in our largest larva. It remains 

 constant through juvenile development at about 

 125% of SL (Figure 6A). 



Caudal Peduncle Depth 



From 4 mm where caudal peduncle depth is 

 6% of SL it increases steadily through larval 



1248 



