POWLES: DESCRIPTIONS OF LARVAL SILVER PERCH. BANDED DRUM, AND STAR DRUM 



80" 



34" 



33' 



32" 



31 



30 



29" 



K 



77 



x: 



M 



O 



M 



J / 



J M / 

 CHARLESTON/ ^ ^ 



IM 



M 

 O 



CAPE 

 CANAVERAL 



33f 



32' 



31 



30 



29 



28' 



2/ 



79' 



t 



Figure 4. — Distribution of captures of larval Larimus fasciatus 

 during plankton tows conducted by personnel of Northeast 

 Fisheries Center Sandy Hook Laboratory off the southeastern 

 United States (data supplied by Peter Berrien, Fishery Biologist, 

 Northeast Fisheries Center Sandy Hook Laboratory, NMFS, 

 NOAA, Highlands, NJ 07732). 



the southeast United States; larvae were absent 

 from the cruises made in January-February. On 

 cruises made north of Cape Lookout, N.C., by 

 Northeast Fisheries Center Sandy Hook Labora- 

 tory personnel, larval L. fasciatus were found as 

 far north as lat. 36°22' N (just south of the mouth 

 of Chesapeake Bay); larvae were approximately as 

 widely distributed and as abundant in continental 

 shelf waters between Cape Lookout and Chesa- 

 peake Bay as off the southeastern United States 



(Berrien'). Larval L. fasciatus were collected in 

 April to June and August to October on these 

 "northern section" cruises. 



Stellifer lanceolatus 



Morphology. Body proportions change little dur- 

 ing larval development (Table 7). The body is 

 fairly deep (depth at cleithral symphysis 34-41% 

 SL in most specimens). Preanus length, 40-50% 

 SL through most of the series, increases to 55% SL 

 in most late larvae ( ^ 10.2 mm SL). Fins develop at 

 the adult positions. The anus-anal fin gap, 12-20% 

 SL in most specimens <8 mm, decreases with an 

 increase in preanus length in larvae >10 mm. 

 Head length increases slightly with development 

 to the late larval stages; snout length and eye 

 diameter change little over the size range avail- 

 able. Depth of the caudal peduncle increases 

 slightly before and during notochord flexion and 

 remains constant after flexion is complete. 



Small lateral and large marginal preopercular 

 spines are present throughout the series, as are 

 premaxillary and dentary teeth. A posttemporal 

 spine is present at 5.1-7.8 mm; at ^10.2 mm a 

 "scale bone" with four spinous projections is pres- 

 ent in the posttemporal region. 



Fin development. The pectoral fin, present 

 throughout the series, first has elements at 6.9 

 mm and has the complete ray complement consis- 

 tently at ^14.0 mm, although the complete ray 

 complement may be present in smaller larvae 

 (Table 8). Notochord flexion occurs between 3.3 

 and 4.3 mm. Principal caudal rays are present in 

 one preflexion larva and are consistently present 

 during and after flexion; the adult complement is 

 present at 5=5.5 mm. Procurrent caudal rays first 

 appear at 5.1 mm and are complete at ^10.2 mm. 

 Bases of the soft dorsal and anal fins are present, 

 with no discernible elements, in two preflexion 

 specimens, and are consistently present with de- 

 veloped pterygiophores in flexion and postflexion 

 specimens. Complete anal ray counts occur at 

 s^3.3 mm, and complete anal spine complements 

 at &5.5 mm. Dorsal ray complements are consis- 

 tently complete at 2=5.5 mm although complete 

 counts may occur at 4.5 mm. Dorsal spines are 

 occasionally seen at 4.5-5.8 mm and are consis- 



^Peter L. Berrien, Fishery Biologist, Northeast Fisheries 

 Center Sandy Hook Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries Ser- 

 vice, NOAA, Highlands, NJ 07732, pers. commun. June 1979. 



129 



