Orr and Matarese: Revison of the genus Lepldopsetta Gill, 1862 



575 



55°17.7'N, 160°11.7'W, 0-115 m depth, Methot net, 24 July 

 1991; UW 083449, 1(15.3 mm). 54°39.2'N, 159°23.0'W, 0-54 m 

 depth, Methot net, 29 July 1991; LW 071740, l(12.0mm; 11.0 

 mm as measured in this study), 55°38.6'N, 153°30.rW, 0-102 

 m depth, bongo net, 31 May 1990; UW 071752, 1(10.0 mm; 

 9.4 mm as measured in this study), 55°31.6'N, 156°16.3'W, 

 0-100 m depth, bongo net, 31 May 1990; UW 072106, 1 of 

 2(17.1 mm), 56°46.2'N, 156°33.6'W, 0-100 m depth, bongo 

 net, 3 June 1990; Gulf of Alaska; LTW 069346, 1(4.3 mm) of 

 9, 58°22.0'N, 150''12.8'W, 0-47 m depth, bongo net, 30 March 

 1978; ITW 083453, 1(12.7 mm), 56°41.9'N, 154°33.2'W, 0-16 

 m depth, bongo net, 24 June 1978; UW 083454, 1(16.3 mm), 

 57''19.5'N, 152°23.9'W, 0-48 m depth, bongo net, 24 June 

 1978; LTW 083455, 1(7.4 mm), 56°23.7'N, 155''45.0'W, 0-79 m 

 depth, bongo net, 15 May 1979; UW 063735, 1 of 12 (11.8 

 mm ), 56°35.1'N, 153°43.6'W, 0-70 m depth, bongo net, 25 May 

 1985; UW 072459, 1 of 10 (9.4 mm), 57°10.7'N, 155°12.9'W 

 0-100 m depth, bongo net, 5 June 1990; UW 072497, 6 of 10 

 (7.4-12.6 mm), 56°56.7'N, 154°43.2'W, 0-42 m depth, bongo 

 net, 5 June 1990; LTW 072502, 4 of 9 ( 7.3-10.3 mm ), 56°49.4'N, 

 154°30.3'W, 0-60 m depth, bongo net, 5 June 1990; LTW 

 072511, 1(12.2 mm), 57°28.6'N, 154°42.4'W 0-60 m depth, 

 bongo net, 5 June 1990; UW 072546, 1(8.1 mm), 57°40.6'N, 

 155°10.5'W, 0-287 m depth, bongo net, 6 June 1990; LTW 

 083458, 1(6.8 mm), 57°15.6'N, 155°55.4'W. depth unknown. 

 Mocness net. 14 May 1991; LTW 083460, 1(6.4 mm), 56°16.4'N, 

 158°04.9'W, 0-64 m depth, bongo net, 22 May 1991; UW 

 083463, 1(4.2 mm), 57°52.3'N,155°0.1'W, 0-82 m depth, bongo 

 net, 7 April 1992; LTW 083464, 1(5.0 mm), 57°42.2'N, 

 154°47.3'W, 0-219 m depth, bongo net, 7 April 1992; LTW 

 083465, 1(5.5 mm), 57°16.5'N, 155°55.0'W, 0-100 m depth, 

 bongo net, 8 May 1992; UW 083466, 1(5.8 mm), 56°54.3'N, 

 156°15.3'W. 0-100 m depth, bongo net, 9 May 1992; UW 

 083467, 3(4.6-6.0 mm). 56°51.8'N, 156°21.4'W, 0-99 m depth, 

 bongo net. 9 May 1992; LTW 083468, 1(6.1 mm). 56°53.3'N. 

 156°23.9'W 0-102 m depth, bongo net, 9 May 1992; UW 

 083469, 1(8.5 mm). 56°42.2'N. 156°32.3'W. 0-100 m depth, 

 bongo net. 13 May 1992; LTW 083470. 1(6.7 mm). 56''44.4'N. 

 156°28.7'W, 0-102 m depth, bongo net, 13 May 1992; LTW 

 083473, 1(7.6 mm), 56°09.4'N, 157°14.3'W, 0-101 m depth, 

 bongo net, 22 May 1992; UW 083474, 1(7.5 mm), 56°40.6'N, 

 155°10.4'W, 0-59 m depth, bongo net, 15 May 1992; UW 

 083482, 2( 19.0-20.0 mm ). 47°34. 15'N. 122°32.30'W, m depth, 

 dip net, 9 May 1990. 



Diagnosis 



Lepldopsetta polyxystra is a species of Lepidopsetta with 

 the following combination of characters in adults: total 

 gill rakers on first arch 9-14. on upper arch 2-6; total gill 

 rakers on second arch 8-14; supraorbital pores 1-3, rarely 

 4-7; preopercular pores 5-8; lateral-line pores 76-100; 

 sum of scales above and below lateral line 66-96; inter- 

 orbital wide; blind side coloration in life creamy, without 

 glossy highlights along margins of myotomes. 



Larvae are distinguished from other species o{ Lepldop- 

 setta by the following characters; body slender; snout-to- 

 anus length long; larvae undergo hatching, flexion, and 

 transformation at comparatively larger sizes; preflexion 

 pigment pattern with light pigmentation along finfolds. 



limited mainly to the ventral finfold, and two pigment 

 spots along the dorsal midline (the posteriormost align- 

 ing with a ventral patch forming a bar), a series of small 

 melanophores extending from just posterior to the anus to 

 just beyond the postanal bar (about 2/3 body); and flexion 

 pigment pattern with a single bar located on the postanal 

 body; pectoral-fin rays unpigmented. 



Description of adults 



Body ovate, greatest depth 4 1 .2-58.9 ( 49.0 )'7f SL, scales above 

 lateral line 27-40, scales below lateral line 38-59; head rel- 

 atively acute, length 21.8-31.5 (27.2)% SL; dorsal margin 

 of head at dorsal-fin origin slightly concave, snout length 

 3.1-5.7 (4.4)% SL (12.1-20.1 (16.0)% HL); ocular-side max- 

 illa length 20.4-31.5 (26.3)% HL; blind-side maxilla length 

 22.2-35.7 (28.7)% HL; ocular-side mandible length 34.4-50.0 

 (40.7)% HL; teeth 4—5 on ocular-side premaxilla, 23-24 on 

 blind-side premaxilla and 8-9 on ocular-side dentary. 20-24 

 on blind-side dentary; gill rakers of first arch relatively slen- 

 der. 9-14 total. 3-6 on upper arch, 6-9 on lower arch; gill 

 rakers of second arch 8-14 total with 0-4 on upper and 

 7-13 on lower arch; dorsal orbit length often with posteriorly 

 elongate rim and much longer than eye length, orbit length 

 22.2-32.9 (28.1)% HL, dorsal eye length 18.5-32.9 (23.0)% 

 HL; ventral eye length 17.2-31.1 (24.2)% SL; interorbital 

 wide, up to 5 scales at narrowest portion, 2.5-6.6 (4.4)% HL; 

 cheek with 7-12 scales, length 26.7-38.5 (32.5)% HL, depth 

 13.6-22.7 (18.7)% HL; preopercular pores 5-8; ocular-side 

 suborbital pores 13-29; blind-side suborbital pores 8-14; lat- 

 eral line pores 76-100, lateral-line arch length 26.1-64.5 

 (52.3)% HL, its depth 26.3-38.2 (31.7)% its length; both 

 anterior and posterior supratemporal branches relatively 

 long, anterior pores 3-15, posterior pores 10-35; supraorbital 

 canal short, reaching only to the posterior rim of the dorsal 

 orbit at about the insertion of dorsal-fin rays 5-6, pores 1-3, 

 rarely 4—7; ocular-side pectoral-fin length 10.7-18.2 (14.7)% 

 SL (38.3-70.4 (53.9)% HL); blind-side pectoral-fin length 

 6.6-12.7 ( 10.2)% SL (24.2^9.6 (37.4)% HL); ocular-side pel- 

 vic-fin length 7.8-12.2 (9.9)% SL (27.6-45.9 (36.6)'7( HL); 

 dorsal fin with 64-83 rays, height 10.2-16.6 (13.5)% SL, 

 in specimens with 69-80 rays supported by 68-78 pterygi- 

 ophores, typically 9 or rarely 8 anterior to first neural spine; 

 anal fin with 49-64 rays, in specimens with 55-61 rays sup- 

 ported by 53-63 pterygiophores; caudal peduncle relatively 

 slender, "least depth 9.4-13.1 (10.9)% SL (32.2-48.8 (40.2)% 

 HL, 101.2-144.2 (123)% caudal peduncle length', greatest 

 depth 10.1-16.9 (12.31% SL (38.1-57.7 (45.2)% HL); caudal 

 peduncle length 7.0-10.1 (8.9)% SL (27.6-42.0 (32.7)% HL); 

 caudal-fin length 17.8-29.1 (22.7)% SL. Vertebrae 39-41, 

 with 10-11 precaudal and 29-30 caudal. 



Scales around head and those scattered posteriorly on ocular 

 side very rough, with columnar tubercles in large adults; 

 strong spines in small adults and juveniles. Urogenital flap 

 unpigmented or lightly pigmented in 23-80 mm juveniles. 



In life, blind side in moderate to large adults creamy 

 white, skin opaque (Amaoka et al., 1995, Fig. 525); in juve- 

 niles, blind side nearly completely translucent, with small, 

 white glossy areas on head. When preserved, blind side of all 

 individuals uniform creamv white to vellow-brown. Ocular 



