FISHERY BULLETIN; VOL. 79. NO. 2 



Table L— Meristics from larvae and juveniles ofSehastes entomelas based on unstained specimens. Counts of left and right pelvic fin 

 rays(I,5;I,5l, superior and inferior principal caudal rays (8,7). and left and right branchiostegal rays (7,7 1 were constant throughout the 

 series. Specimens above dashed line are undergoing notochord flexion. 



'Posteriormost dorsal or anal spine appears as a soft ray 



^Forming, 



3Transforming. 



"Pelagic juvenile. 

 5Benthic juvenile. 



from postflexion larvae to pelagic juveniles occurs 

 between =22 and 31 mm as indicated by structural 

 change of the dorsal and anal fin "prespines" to 

 sharp, hard spines. Melanistic pigmentation 

 gradually increases over the body through the lar- 

 val and transformation periods and does not 

 change markedly during transformation. Transi- 

 tion from pelagic to benthic habitat, based on all 

 specimens examined, probably occurs chiefly be- 

 tween 55 and 75 mm. The largest pelagic juvenile 



was 40.1 mm, and the smallest juvenile taken in a 

 beam trawl was 42 mm long. 



Morphology (Tables 2, 3). — Various body parts 

 were measured on 53 selected specimens of S. en- 

 tomelas ( 9.9-74.5 mm). Relative growth trends are 

 summarized in Table 2. 



Perhaps the most distinctive morphometric as- 

 pect of larval and small juvenile S. entomelas is 

 the relatively slender body. Body depth decreases 



236 



