FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 80, NO. 1 



posterior rays are probably calcified by the time 

 transformation is complete. 



Development of the left pelvic fin precedes 

 that of the right fin. The left pelvic fin bud 

 appears during preflexion (before 4.5 mm NL, 

 probably at about 4.0 mm NL). Rays develop be- 

 tween preflexion (about 4.5 mm NL) and post- 

 flexion (7.9mmSL). The second ray is the first to 

 appear (4.5 mm NL); it is elongate. (This ray may 

 actually be the result of fusion of the second and 

 third rays.) The first ray does not appear until 

 early flexion (5.9 mm NL). It is weak, never elon- 

 gate, and usually the shortest ray in the fin. The 

 right pelvic fin bud appears during early flexion 

 (5.3 mm NL). Rays develop between late flexion 

 (6.7 mm NL) and postflexion (about 9.0 mm SL). 

 There are five rays in the complete left fin and 

 six in the right. 



Rayless, fanlike, larval pectoral fins were 

 present on the smallest available specimen (pre- 

 flexion, 4.4 mm NL). Calcification of rays in the 

 left fin begins during postflexion (about 11 mm 

 SL). 



Cephalic Spination 



Preopercular spines (Table 4) were present in 

 the smallest preflexion specimen (4.4 mm NL). 

 With development (Figs. 6A, B, 7A), additional 

 spines appear until maximum numbers of about 

 31 on the left side (range 25-38) and 39 on the 

 right side (range 34-43) are reached during post- 

 flexion (8.3-10.2 mm SL). The largest specimen 

 (12.9 mm SL) has only about three left (uncertain 

 count) and seven right spines. Most are probably 

 lost by transformation. 



Frontal-sphenotic spines were evident in the 

 smallest preflexion specimen (4.4 mm NL) and 

 throughout the larval series, though less con- 

 spicuous in larger specimens (10-13 mm SL). The 

 lowermost spine on the left side is usually just 

 above the center of the eye and on the right side 

 slightly anterior to the center of the eye. (During 

 transformation those on the right side are at the 

 anterior margin of the skull.) The spines are 

 arranged in a slightly posteriorly concave arch 

 following the curve of the skull. There are 

 usually six (maximum of six) per side, including 

 three stronger spines arising from a small bulge 

 of the skull. 



Larva] Teeth (Table 5) 



Numbers of teeth of preflexion (4.5-5.4 mm 



NL) larvae range from two upper and two lower 

 to three upper and four lower on each side. Dur- 

 ing early caudal formation (4.6-5.3 mm NL), 

 numbers range from two upper and three lower 

 to three upper and four lower on each side. Dur- 

 ing early flexion (5.3-6.0 mm NL), teeth increase 

 from two upper and four lower to four upper and 

 five lower on each side. During midflexion (6.4- 

 6.6 mm NL), there are four or five upper and five 

 or six lower teeth on each side. During late flex- 

 ion (6.7-7.7 mm NL), teeth increase from four 

 upper and six lower to seven upper and eight 

 lower on each side. During postflexion (7.9-12.9 

 mm SL), teeth increase from about six upper and 

 six lower on each side to about eight upper on 

 both sides, more than nine in the lower left 

 jaw, and more than eight in the lower right 

 jaw. 



Transformation 



Migration of the right eye may begin as early 

 as midflexion (6.6 mm NL) or as late as postflex- 

 ion (7.9 mm SL). The right eye moves from the 

 right side of the head through a space between 

 the dorsal fin and supraorbital bars (Fig. 7B) as 

 in Cyclopsetta fimbriata (Gutherz 1971). The 

 right eye probably reaches its final position on 

 the left side of the head by about 18 mm SL. No 

 early juvenile specimen was available. This size 

 is based on a transformation rate similar to that 

 of Citharichthys cornutus and a 16.0 mm SL 

 specimen of C. gymnorhinus in which the right 

 eye was about halfway to the dorsal ridge. 



Occurrence 



Larvae were collected in the Atlantic during 

 February, March, April, May, and October 

 (Powles footnote 4). There was no apparent size 

 progression by month, indicating an extended 

 spawning season. Water depth was 14.6-446 m. 

 Surface temperature and salinity were 19.0°- 

 26.5°C and 33. 8-37. V... Citharichthys gymno- 

 rhinus larvae occurred slightly closer to shore 

 and not quite as far north as those of C. cornutus. 

 The reported northern limit for adult C. gymno- 

 rhinus is Georgia. (See C. cornutus, section on 

 Occurrence.) 



In the eastern Gulf of Mexico, larvae smaller 

 than 4 mm NL were common in January, Febru- 

 ary, May, June, July, August, and November, 

 indicating year-round spawning in that area 

 (Dowd 1978). 



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