FISHERY BULLETIN VOL 77. NO 1 



ichthys decurrens. with the largest yolk-sac larva, 

 is correspondingly large at caudal fin formation 

 (notochord flexion) and at transformation, 

 whereas Hypsopsctta guttiilata. with the smallest 

 egg, is correspondingly smallest at all stages of 

 larval development with the exception of some 

 overlap with larvae of P. ritten. 



A larval character that is particularly useful in 

 separating preflexion larvae of H. guttulata from 

 those of P. ritten is the presence of a pterotic spine 

 on each side of the head of//, guttulata. The only 

 species of Pleuronichthys with a pterotic spine is 

 P. decurrens. 



For relating a lai'val series to its juveniles and 

 adults, and thus substantiating identification of 

 the series, meristic counts, particularly of the pre- 

 caudal and caudal groups of vertebrae, are indis- 

 pensible. One can seldom rely on one meristic 

 character alone, but must use a combination of all 

 available counts. 



The distribution of pigment, which changes 

 with growth, provides good characters for dis- 

 criminating among larvae of the several species. It 

 is particularly useful with preflexion larvae, and 

 for this reason we emphasize pigment for this 

 stage in Table 20. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



We would like to thank the following individu- 

 als for loan of specimens: Gerald McGowen (Occi- 

 dental College), Joseph Copp and Richard 

 Rosenblatt (Scripps Institution of Oceanography), 

 Maxwell Eldridge (National Marine Fisheries 

 Service, Tiburon), Wayne White (California State 

 University, Fullerton), Robert Behrstock (Hum- 

 boldt State University), and Sally Richardson 

 (Oregon State University). We are grateful to Den- 

 nis Gruber (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) 

 and John Butler (National Marine Fisheries Ser- 

 vice, La Jollai for providing reared specimens. .Ap- 

 preciation is also extended to Susan D'Vincent, 

 Elaine Sandknop, and Betsy Stevens (National 

 Marine Fisheries Service. La Jolla) for their assis- 

 tance in gathering material from our collections. 

 Henry Orr ( National Marine Fisheries Service, La 

 Jolla) deserves thanks for some of the illustra- 

 tions. Our special thanks go to George Boehlert 

 and Ellen Flentye (Scripps Institution of Oceanog- 

 raphy) for providing the scanning electronmicro- 

 graphs, and to John Fitch (California Department 

 of Fish and Game), Edward Houde (University of 

 Miami), David Kramer (National Marine 



Fisheries Service, La Jolla), and Sally Richardson 

 for their critical review of the manuscript. 



LITERATURE CITED 



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1968. Oeufs et larves de Teleosteens de I'Ouest africain 

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 AGAS.SIZ. A., AND C. O. WHITMAN. 



1885. Studies from the Newport Marine Laboratory. XVI. 

 The development of osseous fi.shes, I , The pelagic stages of 

 young fishes. Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool Harv. Coll. 14. 56 



P 



AHL.STROM. E. H.. AND H. G. MOSEK. 



1975. Distributional at'.as of fish larvae in the Cahfomia 

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AHL.STROM, E. H., J. L, BUTLER, AND B. Y. SUMIDA. 



1976. Pelagic stromateoid fishes (Pisces, Perciformes) of 

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AMAOKA, K. 



1970. Studies on the larvae and juveniles of the sinistral 

 flounders - I. Taeruopsettn ocellata (Giinther). Jpn. J- 

 Ichthyol. 17:95-104, 



1971. Studies on the larvae and juveniles of the sinistral 

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1972. Studies on the larvae and juveniles of the sinistral 

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1973. Studies on the larvae and juveniles of the sinistral 

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B AILEY, R, M. J. E. FITCH, E. S. HERALD, E. A. LACHNER, C. C. 

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1970, A list of common and scientific names of fishes from 

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Bell, R. R. 



1971. California marine fish landings for 1970 Calif 

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Bruun, a, F, 



1937. Chat^canopsetta in the Atlantic; a bathypelagic oc- 

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1940. Development of the eggs and early larvae of six 

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 50 p. 



Clothier, C. R. 



1950. A key to some southern California fi.shes based on 

 vertebral characters. Calif Div. Fish Game, Fish Bull, 

 79, 83 p, 

 DEVI, C, B, L 



1969. Occurrence of larvae of Pseudorhomhus elevatus 

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142 



