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J. 



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FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 78. NO. 3 



— r—A/ — I 



Subopercular 

 Spines 



^ 



Interopercular 

 Spines 



^ 



Preopercular 



Spines 

 (marginal) 



^ 



Preopercular 

 Spines 

 (lateral) 



5 10 15 20 25 



STANDARD LENGTH (mm) 



^r 



50 



Figure ll. — Frequency of preopercular, interopercular, and subopercular spines in Leiostomus 



xanthurus. 



observed on preflexion larvae and on almost all 

 older larvae. 



3. A well-defined melanophore at the cleithral 

 s5Tnphysis on the ventral side of the abdomen. 

 This melanophore first appeared on flexion lar- 

 vae (3.8 mm SL). 



4. A melanophore at the lower jaw angle first ap- 

 peared on preflexion larvae (2.6 mm SL). 



5. Embedded pigment at the anterior of the gut 

 between the left and right cleithrum first be- 

 came apparent on flexion larvae (4.0 mm SL), 

 but were seen on cleared and stained late pre- 

 flexion larvae (2.9 mm SL). 



Two other characteristic pigment patterns were 

 observed on the body: 1) a faint melanophore at 

 the base of the caudal fin first appeared on most 

 early flexion larvae (Figure 6C); then additional 

 melanophores were added (Figure 6D) which 

 eventually outlined the base of the caudal fin (Fig- 



ure 6E), and 2) imbedded melanophores on the 

 perineural sheath appeared at ca. 6-7 mm SL 

 (Figure 6E). 



Distinguishing Spot from Other Sciaenids 



The eggs and larvae of most sciaenids are not 

 likely to occur with spot eggs and larvae since the 

 spawning seasons and localities of these sciaenids 

 and spot do not overlap (Guest and Gunter 1958; 

 Johnson 1978; Powles and Stender 1978). Spot, 

 which spawns in continental shelf waters during 

 the winter, share this spawning locality with 

 Cynoscion nothus, Equetus spp., Larimus fas- 

 ciatus, and Micropogonias undulatus. Of these 

 sciaenids, only the Atlantic croaker appears to 

 share the same spawning season with spot (the 

 spawming season oi Equetus spp. is unknown ). The 

 eggs and early preflexion larvae of Atlantic 

 croaker have not been described and, therefore, 



712 



