FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 75, NO. 3 



TABLE 1. — Development ofmeristic characters of larval and small juvenile vermilion snapper, 



Rhomboplites aurorubens. 



Pectoral Fins 



The pectoral fins are the last to begin develop- 

 ment, embryonic rays becoming visible at about 

 4.9 mm. Ray formation proceeds from dorsal to 

 ventral. True rays begin to form at about 6.9 mm, 

 the adult complement, 17-18 rays, appearing by 

 8.6 mm. 



Pectoral fin rays were frayed and broken on 

 many specimens (including the specimen in Fig- 

 ure 2C). Longest pectoral fin rays without obvious 

 damage were 11.9-15.0% SL, having no obvious 

 within range correlation with standard length. 



Head 



All larvae have one small spine projecting from 

 the posterodorsal portion of the operculum. This 

 spine is very small and difficult to locate on small 

 specimens (Figures 1, 2). 



The preopercle is armed with two rows of spines. 

 The smaller spines are located proximally along 



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the margin of the preopercular crest, and the 

 larger spines occur distally along the preopercular 

 margin (Figures 1, 2). Both preopercular crest and 

 preopercular margin have an upper (ascending) 

 and lower (horizontal) margin which form approx- 

 imately right angles. 



Specimens <5.0 mm have 2 or 3 spines along the 

 lower margin and 1 spine on the upper margin of 

 the preopercular crest. Larger specimens have 3 or 

 4 spines along the lower and 1 or 2 spines along the 

 upper margins (Figures 1, 2). Spines increase in 

 size towards the angle of the preopercular crest. 



Three spines are present along the lower margin 

 of the preopercular margin on specimens <4.0 

 mm, 4 spines on specimens 4.0-5.4 mm, 5 spines 

 on specimens 5.4-9.0 mm, and 6 or 7 spines on 

 specimens >9.0 mm. These spines increase in size 

 towards the angle of the margin, larger spines 

 being serrated on juvenile specimens. A large, 

 stout, and serrate spine occurs at the preopercular 

 angle in all specimens. Length of the angle spine 

 was 6.5% SL on the smallest larva (4.0 mm). All 



