FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 75, NO. 4 



TABLE 1. — Regression parameters for selected morphometric 

 characters in Desmodema; p = polystictum, 1 = lorum. 



1 SV = Snout vent length, SL 

 2 HL = Head length. 



Standard length. 



rapidly shorter, then fin margin even to caudal 

 base. Pelvics absent but with buried bases still 

 evident. Pectorals low, their bases almost horizon- 

 tal, outline pointed, tip probably extending almost 

 to lateral line when fin is intact. 



Color in alcohol dark brown. Dorsal fin clear, 

 becoming dusky, then black along tail. Caudal 

 black. Pectoral clear. Iris dark, with a golden ring 

 around pupil. In life the fish is silvery with dark 

 red tones dorsally and on the head, and the fins 

 red, except that the dorsal rays along the tail ex- 

 tension are black. 



Description of prejuvenile. — Ventral profile of 

 body sloping gradually down from tip of lower jaw 

 to pelvic, then tapering in a gentle curve back to 

 beginning of narrow tail section. Vent asymmetri- 

 cal, opening on left side. Dorsal profile of head 

 steep, but less so than in D. lorum of the same size. 

 In the 44-mm SV individual, the profile is almost 

 vertical to the dorsal origin, but in larger juveniles 

 the slope is gentler, and slightly rounded above 

 the eyes. 



Dorsal profile of body curved from dorsal origin 

 to over opercle then tapering back to tail. Point of 

 maximum body depth just behind pelvic bases. 

 Tail extension thin, but relatively short; postanal 

 length about one-quarter of standard length. The 

 narrow part of the tail is characteristically curved 

 upward, so that caudal fin points up and forward. 



Head length about 4 in snout-vent length, about 

 1.6 in greatest body depth. Eye diameter slightly 

 greater than snout length. Ascending processes of 

 premaxillae end over anterior third of eye. Dorsal 

 origin over middle of eye, first five or six dorsal 

 rays elongate, remainder of fin much as in adults. 



Pelvic fins present, close together, origin level 



TABLE 3. — Vertebral counts in Desmodema. 



850 



