Developmental milestones occur at a rela- 

 tively small size in H. azurea: notochord flex- 

 ion begins at ca. 4.1^.6 mm and is complete 

 at ca. 5.9-6.3 mm; transformation to the juve- 

 nile occurs at ca. 10.8-14.3 mm (Fig. 7). Al- 



FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 87, NO. 3, 1989 



though spinous scales have been reported to 

 occur in larvae of some Kyphosidae (Johnson 

 1984), juvenile H. azurea, as well as G. ni- 

 gricans and M. calif orniensis, lack spines on 

 their scales. 



Figure 6.— Larvae of Hermosilla azurea from MEC SONGS (A-D) and CalCOFI (E) Cruises: (A) 



2.6 mm NL, 1-74, 1-80, D-SONGS, oblique tow, 11 August 1980; (B) 4.3 mm NL, 1-80, D-SONGS, 

 surface tow, 22 September 1980; (C) 6.4 mm NL, 1-53, E-LS, surface tow, 21 September 1979; (D) 



8.7 mm SL, 1-90, B-LS, surface tow, 27 August 1982; (E) 9.9 mm SL, 8108-NH, station 106.7.31, 

 surface tow. 



760 



