FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 85, NO. 2 



down on bacterial and nematode infestation. The 

 seawater was initially UV sterilized and filtered 

 before use in the tank. Ten percent of the water was 

 replaced every week. 



The developing eggs of the first three spawnings 

 were sampled every 2 hours for the first 12 hours 

 and then only once a day. The eggs of the last 

 spawning, March 1982, were sampled at 16, 38, 

 63, 89, and 110 hours and 6, 8, and 10 days. Living 

 eggs were illustrated using a Wild M5^ dissect- 

 ing microscope with camera lucida. Measure- 

 ments of egg diameter, perivitelline space, and oil 

 globule diameter were taken with an ocular microm- 

 eter. 



After hatching the larvae were put into 10 L 

 plastic buckets and later transferred to the main 

 culture tank. Ten percent of the water was changed 

 every day. The larvae were fed the rotifer, Brach- 

 ionus plicatilis (Hunter 1976; Misitano 1978). For 

 the March 1982 spawn the culture tank bloomed ini- 

 tially with algae, including species of Tetraselmas 

 and Isochrysus. Fresh rotifers and algae were added 

 daily. After 20 days, Artemia salina nauplii were 

 added in addition to the rotifers. 



The reared larvae were sampled and viewed at 

 hatching and every day thereafter for 12 days, and 

 then less frequently thereafter up to 35 days. A total 

 of 40 larvae were preserved in 4% formalin after 

 being tranquilized with dilute quinaldine. Twenty- 

 five larvae were preserved for analysis of pigment 

 characteristics and morphometric comparison. 

 Length was recorded as notochordal (NL), flexion 

 (FL), or standard (SL) depending on the stage of 

 caudal fin development. Selected sizes of preserved 

 specimens were drawn using the camera lucida. 



Field-collected larvae were obtained from the 

 King Harbor Ichthyoplankton collection and the 

 Bightwide Ichthyoplankton Program collection 

 (LACM). Two juveniles (LACM 21639, 43579-1) 

 were obtained from the LACM adult fish collection. 

 Additional specimens were obtained from Marine 

 Ecological Consultants (MEC) of Encinitas, CA. The 

 larva from the King Harbor Ichthyoplankton collec- 

 tion was collected in King Harbor using a single con- 

 ical 1 m diameter plankton net with 335 ^m mesh 

 towed just below the surface (McGowen 1978). A 

 total of 420 larvae was collected by the Bightwide 

 Ichthyoplankton Program along the California coast 

 between Point Conception and the Mexican border 

 using either an Auriga net (benthic sampler) or a 

 70 cm diameter bongo net for oblique and middepth 



tows (R. J. Lavenberg pers. commun.* and G. E. 

 McGowen pers. commun.^). A 16.3 mm juvenile was 

 collected by the Bightwide Ichthyoplankton Pro- 

 gram with an Auriga net set with 2 mm diameter 

 mesh. Five specimens from MEC were collected off 

 San Onofre, CA, and the Santa Margarita River, 

 CA, using an Auriga net (W. Watson pers. com- 

 mun.^). Transforming larvae >10.5 mm and <16.3 

 mm were absent from the above collections. 



Sixteen specimens were double-stained for bone 

 and cartilage using alizarin red and alcian blue stains 

 (Dingerkus and Uhler 1977) including one juvenile 

 (LACM 43579-1). Eleven specimens including the 

 juvenile were used for meristic counts. 



Field-collected larvae were identified by compar- 

 ing the pigmentation and myomere counts of smaller 

 size larvae (2.7-5.8 mm) with reared larvae and by 

 comparing larger size larvae (<9.3 mm) with cleared 

 and stained specimens identified using vertebral, 

 dorsal fin, anal fin, and pelvic-fin ray counts. A 10.5 

 mm larva was identified by meristics, including 

 radiograph vertebral counts, and consistent spine 

 and pigment development. A total of 425 field- 

 collected larvae was examined; 55 larvae and 2 

 juveniles were observed for detailed pigment char- 

 acteristics, morphometries, and meristic counts. 



Definition of terms 



Preanal length = distance from the snout to a ver- 

 tical line through the anus. 



Body depth = depth of body at the pectoral fin base. 



Pectoral fin length = horizontal distance from up- 

 per fin base to posterior edge of fin or end of 

 longest ray. 



Head length = distance from snout to posterior edge 

 of opercle. 



Flexion length (FL) = distance from the snout to 

 the posterior tip of notochord during the stage 

 when the posterior notochord starts to bend up- 

 ward until the stage when the hypural plates are 

 formed and in their permanent orientation, their 

 posterior edges almost vertical. 



Eye diameter = horizontal diameter of eye. 



Pectoral insertion = ventral attachment of pectoral 

 fin. 



'Reference to trade names does not imply endorsement by the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. 



^R. J. Lavenberg, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles Coun- 

 ty Section of Fishes, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 

 90007, pers. commun. winter 1982. 



^G. E. McGowen, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles Coun- 

 ty, Section of Fishes, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 

 90007, pers. commun. winter 1982. 



^William Watson, Marine Ecological Consultants, 531 Encinitas 

 Boulevard, Suite 110, Encinitas, CA 90024, pers. commun. sum- 

 mer 1981. 



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