32 



Fishery Bulletin 93(1), 1995 



hours prior to hatching until yolk exhaustion. Newly 

 hatched larvae have melanophores scattered over the 

 body. Melanophores appear on the ventral and ante- 

 rior regions of the yolk sac by 2.8 mm and pigment 

 also appears within the finfold (both dorsal and anal) 

 between myomeres 25—32 in reared larvae (not appar- 

 ent in field-collected larvae — probably owing to finfold 

 damage). Finfold pigment disappears by 3.5 mm. 



Initially, melanophores are scattered over the snout 

 but they disappear by 3.5 mm. Pigment appears at the 

 angle of the lower jaw and is retained throughout the 

 larval period. Melanophores are typically present on 



the lower jaw, ventrally on the gular membrane, and 

 internally below the otic capsule. Further pigment does 

 not form on the head until after settlement. 



The dorsal surface of both the gut and the gas bladder 

 are covered with melanophores during development. A 

 linear series of discrete melanophores is present on the 

 ventral midline of the gut in preflexion and flexion lar- 

 vae. Ventral melanophores disappear from the hindgut 

 by 10.0 mm and this region then remains unpigmented. 

 Concurrently, the remaining 5—8 melanophores be- 

 tween the cleithral symphysis and the hindgut become 

 elongate and are retained in postsettlement larvae. 



