388 



Fishery Bulletin 89(3), 199) 



in 5% buffered formalin, but beginning 

 in August 1983 bongo samples (333 ^ 

 mesh nets) were transferred to 70% etha- 

 nol within two weeks of collection. 



Collections also were made off King 

 Harbor, Redondo Beach, California, on 

 12 March and 9 September 1985, using 

 a 1-m plankton net (with 333^ mesh) 

 towed at the surface. Samples of live 

 plankton were brought to the King Har- 

 bor Research Laboratory where the fish 

 eggs were removed and separated into 

 types. Each type was reared separately 

 at ambient sea temperature (~16°C), 

 sampled periodically, and fixed and pre- 

 served in 5% buffered formalin. 



Additional material was generated 

 from spawning brood stock at the King 

 Harbor laboratory. Adults of Paralich- 

 thys californicus and Xystreurys liolepis 

 were maintained and artificially induced 

 to spawn in April (P. californicus) and 

 November (X liolepis) 1985. The result- 

 ing eggs and larvae were reared in 4-L containers at 

 16-18°C. Eggs were sampled every two hours, and the 

 larvae were sampled irregularly. These samples were 

 fixed in 5% buffered formalin and preserved in 70% 

 ethanol or 5% buffered formalin. 



Descriptions of both species are based primarily on 

 field-collected material as studies of other taxa have 

 noted differences in the appearance of field and reared 

 material (Butler et al. 1982, Watson 1982, Caddell 

 1988). Field-collected postflexion larvae were identified 

 with the aid of meristic counts. The developmental 

 series was completed by working back towards smaller 

 specimens following the sequential development of 

 pigmentation, morphology, and morphometric pat- 

 terns. Characters used to identify the earliest yolksac 

 larvae also were used to identify embryos of late-stage 

 eggs. I was unable to identify early-stage eggs from 

 the field collections, so these eggs are described from 

 reared material. 



Measurements were made using a Wild M8 Stereo- 

 microscope equipped with a measuring eyepiece. Three 

 measurements were taken on each egg: chorion, yolk, 

 and oil globule diameter. Measurements were made by 

 manipulating the egg so that the oil globule faced up 

 with the embryo at the bottom of the egg and perpen- 

 dicular to the measurement grid. Larval measurements 

 were made using definitions and methods employed by 

 Moser and Ahlstrom (1970), Ahlstrom et al. (1976) and 

 Leis and Rennis (1983). 



The larval period is divided into three stages (preflex- 

 ion, flexion, and postflexion) based on caudal fin devel- 

 opment (Kendall et al. 1984). Prior to notochord flex- 



ion, i.e., preflexion, larval length is measured from 

 snout tip to notochord tip and designated NL (noto- 

 chord length). During flexion, larval length is measured 

 from snout tip to the tip of the notochord or to the 

 posterior margin of the developing hypurals, whichever 

 is longer, and is designated FL (flexion length). The 

 designation SL (standard length) is used for postflex- 

 ion larvae and is measured from the snout to the 

 posterior margin of the hypurals (now approximately 

 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body). 

 Measurements given in this paper are followed by one 

 of these designations in order to specify the develop- 

 mental stage of the specimen. All measurements are 

 expressed in millimeters (mm). Separate measurement 

 tables are provided for eggs and larvae preserved in 

 5% buffered formalin and 70% ethanol because eggs 

 and larvae preserved in ethanol shrink more than those 

 preserved in formalin (Rounds et al. 1984). 



Eggs were staged using the method Ahlstrom (1943) 

 proposed for the pilchard. Larvae were cleared and 

 stained following Potthoff (1984), but specimens were 

 left in the acidic alcian blue solution for only two hours 

 to minimize decalcification. 



Results 



Egg descriptions 



Paralichthys californicus Eggs of Paralichthys cali- 

 fornicus are pelagic and possess a smooth spherical 

 chorion (0.64-0.83 mm), homogenous yolk (0.40-0.70 

 mm), and a single oil globule (0.09 - 0.16 mm, Table 1). 



