Noel): Larval development of Hyporhamphus melanochir and H regularis 



375 



hemiramphid species may overlap in 

 distribution with those of H. melanochir 

 and H. regularis outside South Australian 

 waters. Meristic characters (summarized 

 in Table 5) can often distinguish H. mela- 

 nochir and H. regularis from the other 

 species, except the eastern sea garfish (//. 

 australis), which has overlapping meristic 

 counts and currently undescribed larvae. 

 The storm garfish iHemiramphus robus- 

 tus) has fewer anal-fin rays (11-14) and 

 develops both a dark blotch below the 

 dorsal fin and a pigmented pelvic fin in 

 the juvenile stage (Collette, 1974; Collette 

 et al., 1984). The long-finned garfish (Eu- 

 leptorhamphus viridis), an oceanic species 

 that rarely frequents nearshore waters, is 

 strikingly different from other hemiram- 

 phids, being much more elongate and 

 slender, and having divergent meristic 

 counts, including more dorsal- and anal- 

 fin rays (21-25 and 20-24, respectively), 

 more vertebrae (69-73), fewer pectoral-fin 

 rays (7-9), and fewer gill rakers (25-33) 

 (Collette, 1974; Hardy 1978; Chen, 1988; 

 Trnski et al., 2000). 



Larvae of the saury {Scomberosox sau- 

 rus) (family Scomberosocidae) also occur 

 in southern Australia and are the only 

 other species that could be confused with 

 hemiramphids. These are distinguishable 

 from hemiramphid larvae by their higher 

 myomere count (62-70), greater number 

 of principal caudal-fin rays (16-17), pres- 

 ence of dorsal and anal finlets, and much 

 heavier pigmentation (Bruce and Sutton, 

 1998; Trnski etal, 2000). 



Acknowledgments 



I am grateful to D. Short, L. Triantafillos, 

 and the crew of the RV Ngerin for assist- 

 ing in the field collection of specimens. 

 The South Australian Museum allowed 

 access to catalogued hemiramphid speci- 

 mens, and A. Jordan donated a newly 

 hatched H. melanochir larva and assisted 

 with the examination of distinguishing 

 characters. B. Bruce and F. J. Neira pro- 

 vided tips on larval drawing techniques. 

 I also thank B. Bruce, S. Donnellan, A. 

 Fowler, A. Jordan, F. J. Neira, T. Trnski, 

 and T. Ward for kindly reviewing the 

 manuscript. This project was supported 

 by a Fisheries Research and Develop- 

 ment Corporation grant 97/133 and was 

 undertaken while receiving an Austra- 

 lian Postgraduate Award (Industry) at 

 Adelaide University. 



