FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL 79, NO. 2 



moderately large and elongate melanophores. 

 Melanophores are also present along the ventral 

 margin and underside of the pectoral fin base. 



As larvae develop, pigment increases on the 

 head over the brain, and a few small melanophores 

 may appear on the snout in larvae >12 mm. 

 Melanophores appear on the opercle by =8 mm 

 and increase in number with development. By ~12 

 mm, melanophores appear just above the opercle 

 near the pterotic and inferior posttemporal spines. 

 About one-half of larvae observed have at least one 

 melanophore along the anterior margin of the 

 cleithrum beneath the opercle. Gut pigmentation 

 remains intense through the larval period. 

 Melanophores begin to appear on the nape and 

 along the dorsal surface of the body beneath the 

 spinous and soft dorsal fins by =12 mm. This pig- 

 mentation beneath the soft dorsal fin is composed 

 of large, expanded melanophores and always ap- 

 pears as the most densely pigmented area on lar- 

 vae. The small melanophores along the ventral 

 midline of the caudal peduncle usually disappear 

 by =^10 mm; two specimens, 12.4 and 13.3 mm, had 

 one and two melanophores in this region, respec- 

 tively. A single larva (11.7 mm) had one 

 melanophore on the margin of the hypural plate. 

 The pectoral and pelvic fin membranes are usually 

 pigmented in larvae although the intensity and 

 number of melanophores decreases with develop- 

 ment. By 12 mm, melanophores entirely disappear 

 from the pectoral fin base. 



Early in the transformation period ( =14-20 

 mm), melanistic pigmentation rapidly appears 

 over the dorsal surfaces of the snout, head, nape, 

 body, and caudal peduncle and then continues to 

 increase gradually ventrolaterally with develop- 

 ment. Melanophores appear on the cheek, pos- 

 teroventral to the eye by 14 mm, and begin to ex- 

 tend around the posteroventral portion of the orbit 

 by =16 mm. Melanophores extend from the nape 

 anteriorly joining the head pigment and laterally 

 toward the body midline at the same time that 

 pigment extends ventrolaterally from beneath 

 the spinous dorsal fin. By =16 mm, some me- 

 lanophores appear aligned along the myosepta 

 over the anterior one-fourth of the body but never 

 appear very distinct. By =15.5 mm, internal and 

 external melanophores appear along the lateral 

 midline anterior to the point of notochord flexion 

 and just posterior to the head on specimens greater 

 than =16 mm. Melanophores appear along the 

 margin of the hypural elements in most specimens 

 >16 mm. A melanophore appears at the point of 



articulation of most dorsal fin rays on specimens 

 >15 mm, occasionally of some anal rays on speci- 

 mens 13.5-19 mm, and of most anal fin rays on all 

 specimens >19 mm. Melanophores are usually ab- 

 sent on the pelvic fin membrane on transforming 

 larvae. Specimens >14 mm usually lack 

 melanophores on the pectoral fin membrane. A 

 single larva (19.3 mm) had a few small 

 melanophores near the anterior base of the spi- 

 nous dorsal fin membrane. 



Melanistic pigmentation continues to intensify 

 and increase gradually on pelagic juveniles, 20-35 

 mm. Melanophores cover the dorsal surface of the 

 head and appear at the tips of the upper and lower 

 lips by =24 mm. By =28 mm, melanophores ex- 

 tend over the cheek and around the posterior half 

 of the orbit which becomes completely encircled by 

 pigment at =30 mm. Melanophores appear on the 

 gular region by =30 mm. Internal and external 

 melanophores form a continuous irregular row 

 along the lateral body midline by =20 mm. 

 Melanophores also cover the ventrolateral area 

 anterior to the soft dorsal fin between the dorsal 

 margin and the lateral midline. At =21 mm, the 

 large, expanded melanophores under the soft dor- 

 sal become concentrated along muscles surround- 

 ing the dorsal pterygiophores giving the appear- 

 ance of vertical lines of pigment. Pigmentation on 

 the body and caudal peduncle extends nearly to 

 the ventral surface on specimens >28 mm. Areas 

 of somewhat intensified pigmentation extend 

 posteroventrally from the nape and spinous and 

 soft dorsal fin bases appearing as faint saddles. A 

 few small melanophores are occasionally present 

 along the anterior portion of the spinous dorsal fin 

 membrane near its base on pelagic juveniles <35 

 mm. The largest pelagic juvenile (35.3 mm) has 

 melanophores scattered over the proximal two- 

 thirds of the spinous dorsal membrane. Small 

 melanophores appear on the caudal fin near its 

 base by =25 mm. 



Benthic juveniles, 65.0-74.8 mm, have about the 

 same pigment pattern as that of the largest 

 pelagic juvenile. However, they are more darkly 

 pigmented due to the addition of numerous small 

 melanophores over most surfaces of the head, body, 

 and fins. The added pigmentation over the upper 

 areas of the head and opercle, and on the body 

 results from development of melanophores borne 

 on the scales and skin tissue surrounding the scale 

 pockets. This pigmentation overlies the larval and 

 pelagic juvenile pigment which persists on ben- 

 thic juveniles most obviously beneath the soft 



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