RICHARDSON and LAROCHE DEVELOPMENT AND OCCURRENCE OF ROCKFISHES 



V> 'X>\ 



56.9 mm 



..r^'^^^s^^s^s 



78.8 mm 



Figure 4. — Pelagic juvenile (56.9 mm) and benthic juvenile (78.8 mm) oC Sebastes crameri. 



Distinguishing Features. — Characters useful to 

 distinguish the smallest i(ientified larvae (8.0 

 mm) are the heavily pigmented pectoral and pel- 

 vic fins, the presence of a heavy nape pigment 

 patch from which some melanophores extend 

 down and over the gut externally on the body wall, 

 the absence of dorsal midline pigment other than 

 at the nape, the presence of ventral midline pig- 



ment as =11 distinct melanophores of which the 

 anterior ones are embedded and only the posteri- 

 ormost ones remain on the ventral body surface, 

 and pigment at the tip of the lower jaw. The pres- 

 ence of pigment on the first dorsal fin in larvae as 

 small as 11 mm is also a useful character. Meris- 

 tics, presence of a supraocular spine, flat to convex 

 shape of the interorbital space, heavily pigmented 



