NOTE Riley et al. : Growth and morphology of captive Ocyurus chrysurus 



Figure 2 



Developmental stages and mean live lengths of yellowtail snapper. Dark arrows indi- 

 cate location of yellow chromatophores. (A) 3.67-3.82 mm SL, days 7-9 posthatch; (B) 

 4.10-4.53 mm SL, days 10-11 posthatch; (C) 4.51 mm SL, day 12 posthatch; (D) 4.11 

 mm SL, day 13 posthatch. 



Head spination 



One or two paired, smooth spines on the posterior 

 edge of the preoperculum first occurred in larvae 

 3.67-3.82 mm (Fig. 2A). Preopercular spination in- 

 creased to four and a supraocular ridge with one spine 

 was present at 4.10 mm (Fig. 2B). At 4.50 mm (Fig. 

 2C), 5 or 6 elongated preopercular spines were 

 present, the longest of which occurred at the 

 preopercal angle. Larvae at 4.80 mm and 16 days of 

 age (Fig. 3A) had a fully formed supraocular ridge 



with 4 short, smooth spines and 3 supracleithral 

 spines. A reduction in the length of all head spines 

 began at approximately 6.00 mm, but some short, 

 opercular spines remained on the oldest juveniles. 



Fin formation 



The adult meristic complement of O. chrysurus is 

 X+12-14 dorsal, 9 + 8 caudal, I + 5 pelvic, III + 8-9 

 anal, and 15 or 16 pectoral (Hoese and Moore, 1977). 

 In laboratory-reared larvae, fin development oc- 



