MULLIDAE OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC 



447 



Figure 36. — Vpeneus parvus, 20.8-mm. Dipnetted by Oregon personnel. (TU 12789) 

 (Drawings 7, 30, and 36 by Mary Butler.) 



hypural bone. NaiTow strips immediately dorsal 

 and ventral to the row were not pigmented, mak- 

 ing the row of pigment spots particularly striking. 

 About halfway between the lateral midline and 

 the dorsal surface was a second row of lighter 

 pigment spots also with unpigmented strips just 

 doi-sal and ventral which emphasized this row. 

 Between the two rows the pigmentation consisted 

 of scattered chromatophores. Above this second 

 line of chromatophores, and beginning about mid- 

 way between the two doi'sal fins and extending to 

 the insertion of the second dorsal, the pigment 

 spots were arranged in short light bars which ex- 

 tended obliquely downward and posteriorly. Be- 

 low the lateral midline, the pigment spots on the 

 anterior half of the body were patternless, but, 

 beginning about halfwaj' between the operculum 

 and the hypural base, they formed several oblique 

 bars extending downward and posteriorly. The 

 head was covered with a mingling of large and 

 small chromatophores. 



In dorsal view, a congregation of chromato- 

 phores was evident in the region of the snout. The 

 dorsal surface of the body had a row of large pig- 

 ment spots on each side of the dorsal fins, begin- 

 ning just behind the head and extending to the sec- 

 ondary caudal rays. The two rows formed a long 

 slender ''V," as the body of the fish narrowed 

 posteriorly. 



A similar "V" was formed ventrally by a row of 

 cliromatophores on each side of the anal fin, be- 

 ginning at the origin of the anal fin and extending 

 to the secondary caudal rays. There were a few 

 pigment spots on the rays of the first dorsal, the 



second dorsal, and the caudal fins. The pectoral, 

 pelvic, and anal fins were clear. 



The 52.5-mm. pelagic juvenile (fig. 34, lower 

 specimen), preserved in alcohol, had a stripe of 

 pigment spots along the lateral midline. This 

 stripe was almost obscured on the anterior half of 

 the body by heavy pigmentation, but was still 

 prominent along the posterior half of the lateral 

 midline. Above the midline, pigmentation was 

 heavy and gave this section a dark brown color. 

 Below the midline, the pigment spots, over a 

 tan background, gradually became less dense and 

 were very scattered on the ventral surface. Pig- 

 mentation on the head was dense, especially in the 

 snout region. The fins had the same pigmentation 

 as on the 20.8-mm. specimen, except for chromato- 

 phores over the rays of the dorsal half of the 

 pectorals. 



The 54.6-mm. metamorphosed shallow-water 

 form (fig. 34:, upper specimen) was preserved in 

 isopropyl alcohol. The ground color was light 

 tan with many pigment spots above the midline. 

 Below the lateral midline, pigment spots were 

 sparse. The pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins were 

 clear. In the first dorsal, second dorsal, and anal 

 fins, chromatophores were clustering to form the 

 bars characteristic of the adult. 



Allien Poey (1851) described U. parvus, he gave 

 a color description. As the publication in wliich 

 the description is found is not always available 

 and, if available, the Spanish is old and difficult 

 to translate, I include a translation of the color 

 description here. 



The back of tlie fish is bright red and it changes 

 imperceptibly to white as it approaches the bottom of 



