LAROCHE and MCHARDSON: DEVELOPMENT AND OCCURRENCE OF ROCKFISHES 



9.2mm 



24.0mm 



Figure 5.— Pelagic larvae (19.2, 24.0, 33,1 mm) of Sebastes melanops. 



convex interorbital space, body and fin pigmenta- 

 tion, and body morphometry together serve to dis- 

 tinguish larger larvae and juveniles from those of 

 other Oregon species. 



General Development . — Notochord flexion is com- 

 plete on the smallest larva of S. flavidus (10.1 

 mm) and S. melanops (10.6 mm) identified. 

 Transformation from postflexion larvae to pelagic 



juveniles occurs between 23 and 27 mm in S. flav- 

 idus and between -24 and 33 mm in S. melanops 

 as indicated by the structural change of the "pre- 

 spines" in the dorsal and anal fins to sharp, hard 

 spines. Melanistic pigmentation gradually in- 

 creases over the body through the larval and 

 transformation periods and shows no marked 

 change during transformation. Transition from 

 pelagic to benthic habitat usually occurs when 



907 



