NEIRA: LARVAL DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIAN DEVILFISH 



The parietal spines (PA) develop prior to flex- 

 ion and are retained in juveniles but become 

 blunt. The nuchal spines (NU) appear posterior 

 to the parietal spines by 5.7 mm and disappear 

 by 9.0 mm (Fig. 3C). The lower pterotic (LPT) 

 and supraocular (SO) spines appear simulta- 

 neously at 4.8 mm and the posttemporal spine 

 (PST) by 5.1 mm. A small upper pterotic spine 

 (UPT) appears dorsal to the lower pterotic spine 

 (LPT) by 9.0 mm and fuses to the LPT spine by 

 10.0 mm. All LPT, SO, and PST spines persist in 

 juveniles (Figs. 2B, 3C, D). 



The second upper infraorbital (UIO2) and the 

 first lower infraorbital (LIOj spines form simul- 

 taneously at 5.5 mm. The second lower infra- 

 orbital spine (LIO2), which forms by 6.8 mm 

 underneath the eye, grows backwards as a re- 



curved hook reaching a relative length of ca. 

 16.5% BL in juveniles (Fig. 3B, C, D). The nasal 

 (NA), upper and lower cleithral (UCL, LCL), 

 and the upper opercular, lower opercular, and 

 infraopercular (UOP, LOP, lOP) spines form 

 during transformation and remain in juveniles 

 (Fig. 3D). 



Development of the Caudal Complex 



The development of the caudal complex in 

 larval G. ))iarmoratus is illustrated in Figure 4. 

 Three nonossified hypural elements (HYi, HY3, 

 HY4) form at about 4.7 mm ventral to the 

 notochord (N) (Fig. 4A). The third and fourth 

 hypural elements (HY3, HY4) fuse to form a 

 plate by 5.3 mm (Fig. 4B), leaving a small fora- 



N HY, HY4 



PR HY= 



ER ER HY. 



HS PHY HY1.2 HY3.4 

 PJ 



PCFR 



NS ER EP, 



PCFR 



Figure 4. — Development of the caudal complex in cleared and double-stained larval, transforming, and juvenile 

 Gymnapistes maniioratHs. (A) 4.7 mm BL larva. (B) 5.3 mm BL larva. (C) 6.8 mm BL larva. (D) 9.3 mm 

 BL transforming larva. (E) 14.1 mm BL juvenile. Shaded areas represent elements stained with alcian 

 blue. Abbreviations: EP, epural; HS, haemal spine; HY, hypural; N, notochord; NS, neural spine; PC, preural 

 centrum; PCFR, principal caudal fin ray; PHY, parhypural; PR, procurrent ray; UC, ural centrum; UN, 

 uroneural; UR, urostyle. 



895 



