DESCRIPTIONS OF LARVAL SILVER PERCH, BAIRDIELLA CHRYSOURA, 



BANDED DRUM, LARIMUS FASCIATUS, AND STAR DRUM, 



STELLIFER LANCEOLATUS (SCIAENIDAE)'^ 



Howard Powles^ 



ABSTRACT 



This paper presents descriptions and illustrations of larval Bairdiella chrysoura (3.1-8.8 mm standard 

 length), Larimus fasciatus (3.0-5.9 mm standard length), and Stellifer lanceolatus (2.8-15.1 mm 

 standard length). Larimus fasciatus larvae are characterized by brain pigment, pectoral fin pigment, 

 and early-developing pectoral fin rays. Larval B. chrysoura resemble S. lanceolatus, but B. chrysoura 

 have a swath of expanded melanophores from nape to cleithral symphysis. These two species also can be 

 differentiated by the sequence of melanophores in the midventral line posterior to the anus. Off the 

 southeastern United States, L. fasciatus spawn in continental shelf waters from May to October, andS. 

 chrysoura and S. lanceolatus spawn in coastal and estuarine waters during late spring and summer. 



The perciform family Sciaenidae is represented by 

 18 species off the southeastern United States (Ta- 

 ble 1). Taxonomy of adult Sciaenidae of the west- 

 em North Atlantic has recently been revised by 

 Chao (1978); nomenclature in the present paper 

 follows Chao (1978) rather than Bailey et al. 

 (1970). Studies of larval sciaenids of the east coast 

 of the United States have been numerous; these 

 have recently been summarized in several publi- 

 cations (Scotton et al. 1973; Johnson 1978; Powles 

 and Stender 1978; Lippson and Moran"*.) Despite 

 the number of larval studies, their quality has 

 been uneven; for example, larval series now 

 known to consist of more than one species have 

 been described as single species (Menticirrhus 

 americanus and Stellifer lanceolatus of Hilde- 

 brand and Cable 1934), damaged or distorted 

 specimens have been illustrated and described 

 (Sciaenops ocellata of Pearson 1929; Leiostomus 

 xanthurus of Hildebrand and Cable 1930), and 

 illustrations have differed from descriptions of 

 larvae of the same species in the same publication 

 (early Stellifer lanceolatus of Hildebrand and 

 Cable 1934). Further, few detailed developmental 



'South Carolina Marine Resources Center Contribution No. 

 94. 



^MARMAP Contribution No. 164. 



'Marine Resources Research Institute, Charleston, S.C; pres- 

 ent address: Gouvemement du Canada, Peches et Oceans, Divi- 

 sion des Sciences halieutiques.C.P. 15500, Quebec, Canada GIK 



"Lippson, A. J., and R. L. Moran. 1974. Manual for iden- 

 tification of early developmental stages of fishes of the Potomac 

 River estuary. Md. Dep. Nat. Resour., Power Plant Siting Pro- 

 gram, PPSP-MP- 13: 1-282. 



series of morphometric, meristic, and pigmenta- 

 tion data have been published, making separa- 

 tion of larvae to species impossible in the early 

 stages before complete development of fin ele- 

 ments. Thus, both description of undescribed or 

 incompletely described larvae and redescription 

 of larvae which have been poorly described in the 

 literature are necessary to specific identification 

 of sciaenid larvae. 



The three species whose larvae are treated in 

 this paper are generally similar in habitat and 

 probably in ecology. They are small fishes 

 (maximum total lengths 20-23 cm) of coastal and 

 estuarine waters (Hildebrand and Schroeder 

 1928; Hoese and Moore 1977). None are important 

 commercial or sport fish, but all are abundant in 

 estuaries (Dahlberg 1972; Shealy et al. 1974) and 

 on coastal shrimp grounds (Anderson 1968; Reiser 

 1976). Because of their abundance and small size, 

 all may be important prey items for larger, pre- 

 dacious fishes. 



Descriptions of larvae of all three species have 

 been published. Kuntz (1915) described eggs and 

 yolk-sac larvae o{ Bairdiella chrysoura from eggs 

 obtained from a ripe female and further described 

 larvae and early juveniles from plankton collec- 

 tions. Since he examined live or fresh material 

 rather than Formalin-preserved^ material, it is to 

 be expected that body proportions and pigment 

 characters of his series might differ from those in 



Manuscnpt accepted August 1979 



FISHERY BULLETIN; VOL. 78, NO. 1, 1980. 



^Reference to trade name does not imply endorsement by the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. 



119 



