FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 75, NO. 3 



spines and rays; III, 8 anal fin spines and rays; 

 17-18 pectoral fin rays; I, 5 pelvic fin spine and 

 rays; 9 + 8 principal caudal fin rays. Taxa listed by 

 Bailey et al. (1970) were checked for the counts 

 listed above. Only R. aurorubens was found to 

 have the above counts (Jordan and Evermann 

 1898; Hildebrand and Schroeder 1928; Anderson 

 1967; Bbhlke and Chaplin 1968; Miller and 

 Jorgenson 1973) among fishes inhabiting western 

 North Atlantic waters less than 200 m deep. Lar- 

 vae were linked to the juvenile specimens by 

 similarities of morphology and pigmentation. 



Future identifications of small larvae based 

 upon this paper should be made with care since 

 larvae of other lutjanids have not been described. 



DESCRIPTION OF LARVAE AND 

 JUVENILES 



Only large larval and small juvenile stages are 

 described since egg, yolk-sac, and small post 

 yolk-sac stages were not available. Larvae are 

 defined as all forms between yolk-sac absorption 

 and differentiation of the adult complements of 

 spines and soft rays in the fins. Transformation 

 from larva to juvenile is gradually completed be- 

 tween 8.3 and 10.9 mm. 



Pigmentation 



Head pigmentation increases through the lar- 

 val period (Figures 1, 2) with the smallest larva 

 (4.0 mm) showing least pigmentation (Figure 1A). 

 Head pigmentation includes a large stellate 

 melanophore centered over the posterior portion of 

 the midbrain and another on the ventral surface 

 anterior to the tips of the cleithra (Figures 1, 2). 

 The large dorsal melanophore is present on all 

 larval and juvenile specimens except one which 

 has a melanophore over each hemisphere of the 

 midbrain on either side of the point where the 

 central melanophore would be expected. A small 

 area of internal pigmentation is also present ven- 

 tral to the juncture of the midbrain and hindbrain. 

 As the larvae increase in size, smaller stellate 

 melanophores develop on each hemisphere of the 

 midbrain anterior to the large central 

 melanophore. 



By 4.8 mm, a melanophore appears posterior to 

 the dorsal tip of the opercle and 2 or 3 

 melanophores appear on the body beneath the 

 opercle anterior to the cleithrum. Additional 

 melanophores are added to the area of internal 



548 



pigmentation ventral to the juncture of midbrain 

 and hindbrain (Figure IB). 



There is a gradual increase of pigmentation over 

 the forebrain and midbrain until melanophores 

 form a cap of pigment over those structures (Fig- 

 ure 2B, C). From 15 to 20 melanophores per fore- 

 brain hemisphere and from 60 to 80 melanophores 

 per midbrain hemisphere make up the cap in 

 larger juvenile specimens (>10.0 mm). Three to 

 five small melanophores appear at 9.0 mm scat- 

 tered along the dorsal surface of the snout. On 

 juveniles >10.0 mm, 8-12 small melanophores 

 are scattered on the anterior portions of upper and 

 lower lips. 



Preanal body pigmentation includes dense 

 peritoneal pigment which spreads ventrally in 

 bands along the dorsolateral surface of the 

 coelomic wall. The banding results from varia- 

 tions in size and spacing of discrete melanophores. 

 Peritoneal pigmentation appears less distinct on 

 largest juveniles due to an increase in overlying 

 musculature. A pronounced melanophore occurs 

 on the ventral surface anterior to the anus on all 

 specimens <5.1 mm, and occasionally on those 

 5.1-6.3 mm, but is absent on individuals >6.3 

 mm. 



A large stellate melanophore is present (on all 

 specimens examined) internally on myomere 15, 

 16, or 17 above the posterior end of the anal fin 

 near the ventral body margin (Figures 1A, B; 

 2A-C). Three to seven smaller melanophores de- 

 velop anteroventrally to this spot along the bases 

 of anal fin rays, appearing first on 4.7-mm larvae 

 and occurring on all larger specimens (Figures 1C, 

 2). Posterior to the large internal melanophore, 

 1-4 melanophores occur on the ventral margin of 

 specimens <7.0 mm. The number of melanophores 

 present in this region is variable, tending to in- 

 crease in number with body length, specimens 

 >7.0 mm having 5-12. 



A small melanophore appears on larvae 5.1-5.4 

 mm along the dorsal margin of myomere 21 or 22. 

 Specimens >5.4 mm have 5-9 melanophores on 

 the dorsal margin of the caudal peduncle (Figure 

 2B, C). At 4.9 mm, an internal melanophore ap- 

 pears dorsal to the point of notochord flexure and is 

 present in all larger specimens examined (Figure 

 2A-C). An additional melanophore appeared an- 

 terior to this melanophore in two specimens, 8.7 

 and 10.5 mm long. Specimens with all principal 

 caudal rays developed have 1-6 melanophores 

 near the bases of the rays, usually on the lower 8 

 principal rays (Figure 2). 



