Oda: Egg and larval development of Paralichthys californicus and Xystreurys liolepis 



391 



curs approximately two- 

 thirds the distance from 

 snout to tail tip in stage IX 

 Xystreurys liolepis eggs 

 (Figs. 4C,D). Pigment is 

 present between the eyes, 

 dorsally and dorsolateral^ 

 from the eyes to the pec- 

 toral region, along the dor- 

 sal midline to near the tip 

 of the tail, along the yolk/ 

 body interface, on the post- 

 anal ventral margin, and at 

 the tail tip (usually on both 

 the dorsal and ventral mar- 

 gins). 



At stage X (Figs. 4E,F), 

 melanophores are present 

 in the dorsal finfold at the 

 nape and in both medial fin- 

 folds in an area approx- 

 imately two-thirds of the 

 distance from snout to tail 

 tip. Postanal ventral mar- 

 gin melanophores are gen- 

 erally absent except at the 

 tip of the tail. 



Egg comparisons 



The larger chorion and oil 

 globule of Xystreurys lio- 

 lepis eggs usually distin- 

 guishes them from Para- 

 lichthys californicus eggs 

 (Table 1), although some 

 overlap exists. Pigmenta- 

 tion patterns of the two 

 species are similar until 

 stage IX, when X. liolepis 

 embryos (Fig. 4C) develop 

 heavier pigment at the tail 

 tip and patches of dorsal 

 finfold pigment; pigment 

 is present throughout the 

 dorsal finfold in P. califor- 

 nicus (Figs. 2C, D). In addi- 

 tion, stage X P. californi- 

 cus embryos typically have 

 postanal ventral melano- 

 phores (Fig. 2E), whereas 

 X. liolepis lack pigment 

 along the postanal ventral 

 margin except at the tip of 

 the tail (Fig. 4E). 



1.0 m 



m 



u 



D 



Figure 3 



Eggs oiXystreurys liolepis (o = oil globule): (A) stage II (LACM 44979), (B) stage IV (LACM 

 44979), (C) stage VI (LACM 44980), (D) dorsal view of embryo, stage VI (LACM 44980), (E) 

 stage VII (LACM 44980), (F) dorsal view of embryo, stage VII (LACM 44980). 



