FISHERY BULLETIN VOL 77. NO. 1 



Table 15. — Meristics of larvae and juveniles o( Pleuronichthys ritteri. 

 (Specimens between dashed lines are undergoing notochord flexion.) 



Fin rays 



nghl/left Precaudal Caudal Total 



Source 

 of count 



'Prefl - preflexion, E fl - early flexion, fwlidfl - midflexion, Postfl - postflexion; Juv - juvenile 

 'LP refers to functional larval pectoral fins wfiicti tiave no ossified rays 



larva. A radiograph of this specimen showed 12 

 precaudal and 23 caudal vertebrae, the typical 

 count for this species. 



Distribution. — This species ranges from Morro 

 Bay. Calif., to Magdalena Bay, Baja California 

 (Fitch 1963; Miller and Lea 1972; Fierstine et al. 

 1973). Our egg and larval material, which was 

 collected between .southern California and Mag- 

 dalena Bay, Baja California, shows a markedly 

 coastal, inshore distribution for P. ritteri, with a 

 majority of collections made over or near the con- 

 tinental shelf (Figure 18). 



Hypsopsettii giittnlata Girard 



(diamond turbot) 



Figures 19-22 



Literature. — Orton and Limbaugh (1953) and 

 Orton (1953) briefly described the eggs of//, gut- 

 tiilala. Eldridge (1975) described and illustrated 

 larvae of this species, and noted the average size of 

 its egg and oil globule. Although the larval series 

 is quite well described in Eldridge (1975) (except 

 for the omission of the pterotic spine on the head), 

 we are including information about distinguish- 

 ing characters, pigmentation, etc. to facilitate 

 identification. 



Distinguishing characters. — Larvae of H. gut- 

 tulata are distinguishable from species of 

 Pleuronichthys, except for P. ritteri, by their lower 

 total vertebral number, by attaining comparable 

 stages of development at smaller sizes, and by the 

 presence of a pterotic spine on each side of the head 

 in yolk-sac larvae to midflexion larvae. In the 

 genus Pleuronichthys, only P. decurrens develops 

 pterotic spines. (See Distinguishing characters for 

 P. decurrens. ) 



The only species with which larval H. guttulata 

 may be confused is P. ritteri because of its rela- 

 tively small size and somewhat similar pigment 

 pattern. (See Distinguishing characters for 

 separating larvae of the two species discussed 

 under P. ritteri .) 



Pigmentation. — Yolk-sac larvae are heavily pig- 

 mented on the head, trunk, and for a short dis- 

 tance on the tail, with the posteriormost 9 or 10 

 myomeres remaining unpigmented (Figure 19A). 

 Pigment spots are scattered over the ventral and 

 posterior surfaces of the yolk sac and oil globule, 

 and over the terminus of the gut. 



Preflexion larvae show little change in pigment 

 pattern. One or two melanophores develop on the 

 pectoral fin base. The isthmus has a line of pig- 

 ment spots, and the entire abdominal area is cov- 

 ered with pigment (Figure 19B.). 



132 



