LAROCHE and RICHARDSON: DEVELOPMENT OF LARVAE AND JUVENILES OF ROCKFISHES 



59-73 mm, had superior and inferior secondary 

 rays: 12/13 (two specimens), 13/13 (three speci- 

 mens), and 13/14 (two specimens), as determined 

 from radiographs. 



Adults' complements of dorsal and anal fin 

 spines and rays can be counted by =11 mm, al- 

 though ray bases can be counted in the smallest 

 specimen. The dorsal and anal fin prespines be- 

 come spines by ==27 and 31 mm, respectively. 



Spination ( Tables 2, 4). — Spines on the left side of 

 the head of the smallest S. entomelas include the 

 parietal; nuchal; first and third anterior preoper- 

 cular spines; first (as a bump), second, third, and 

 fourth posterior preopercular spines; superior 

 opercular spine (as a bump); postocular; first in- 

 ferior infraorbital spine; first and fourth superior 

 infraorbital spines; pterotic; and the inferior post- 

 temporal spine. 



The parietal spine and ridge are finely serrated 

 on all specimens <33 mm long. Parietal spine 

 length decreases with development becoming 

 overgrown in large juveniles and adults. The nu- 

 chal spine, always shorter than the parietal, is 

 usually present in larvae and pelagic juveniles. It 

 begins to fuse with the parietal spine at =26 mm 

 and is fused and not recognizable in benthic 

 juveniles ( &45.0 mm). 



All five spines of the posterior preopercular 

 series are present on larvae by =11 mm and persist 

 through adults. The third spine is always longest 

 but decreases from 20% HL in flexion larvae to 4% 

 HL in benthic juveniles. The second, third, and 

 fourth posterior preopercular spines and the an- 

 terior edge of the first spine of the anterior 

 preopercular series are weakly serrated in speci- 

 mens <30 mm long. Serrations persist on the 

 third posterior preopercular spine to =33 mm. The 

 second anterior preopercular spine was present on 

 the left side only in one flexion larva (12.0 mm). 

 The first and third anterior preopercular spines 

 are present on all flexion and postflexion larvae, 

 are reduced to blunt bumps in =25 mm transform- 

 ing larvae, and are no longer recognizable by =30 

 mm. 



The superior opercular spine appears well de- 

 veloped and sharp tipped between 10 and 14 mm. 

 The inferior opercular spine appears as a blunt 

 bump at 15 mm, and as a sharp spine in specimens 

 >21 mm. The interopercular spine appears as a 

 blunt bump at =11 mm, as a small sharp spine by 

 22 mm, and is usually reduced to a blunt bump in 

 benthic juveniles >44 mm. 



The ridge anterior to the postocular spine is 

 finely serrated on specimens <28 mm. The su- 

 praocular spine appears as a bump at = 18 mm and 

 as a sharp spine by =19 mm. The preocular spine 

 appears as a blunt bump at =22 mm and as a sharp 

 spine in all specimens >31.6 mm. The first inferior 

 infraorbital spine is present in all specimens <55 

 mm, and is absent in specimens >56 mm. The 

 second inferior infraorbital spine appears between 

 10 and 12 mm, is present in all specimens to =35 

 mm, appears only as a blunt bump between =33 

 and 55 mm, and is no longer visible in specimens 

 >55 mm. The third inferior infraorbital spine ap- 

 pears at =15 mm, is present between 35 and =55 

 mm, and is usually absent in specimens >55 mm. 

 The first superior infraorbital spine is present in 

 all specimens <26 mm, is present as a blunt bump 

 between 25 and 32 mm, and is absent in specimens 

 >32 mm long. The second superior infraorbital 

 spine is occasionally present between 16 and =30 

 mm and is absent in larger and smaller specimens. 

 The third superior infraorbital spine is usually 

 present in specimens =13-31 mm and usually ab- 

 sent in other sized specimens. The fourth superior 

 infraorbital spine is usually present as a sharp 

 spine in specimens <32 mm, as a sharp spine or 

 blunt bump between 32 and 41 mm, and is usually 

 absent in specimens >41 mm. The nasal spine 

 appears as a bump between 11 and 12 mm and as a 

 sharp spine in all specimens >12 mm. 



The tympanic spine appears as a blunt bump 

 between =28 and 35 mm and usually as a small 

 sharp spine in specimens >35 mm. The pterotic 

 spine is present as a sharp spine in all specimens 

 <25 mm, as a blunt bump in specimens 25-37 mm, 

 and is absent in specimens >37 mm. The inferior 

 posttemporal spine is present in all specimens of 

 the series. The supracleithral spine appears at 

 =12 mm and is present in all larger specimens. 

 The superior posttemporal spine appears as a 

 blunt bump at =16 mm and as a sharp spine in all 

 specimens >17 mm. The cleithral spine is present 

 in most specimens >40 mm as a weak, flexible 

 spine. 



Scale formation. — Lateral line organs, indicated 

 by a row of light colored spots on the flesh, are 

 visible on the smallest larva and on most larger 

 larvae which lack scales. Developing scales are 

 first visible on unstained specimens at = 22 mm in 

 the region above the pectoral fin, near the post- 

 temporal and supracleithral spines. The body is 

 scale covered by =26 mm. 



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