Laidig et al.: Descriptions and growth of larval and juvenile Sebastes wilsoni 



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2 nd inferior and 1 st superior infraorbital spines were 

 present (Table 3). The nasal, pterotic, and 4 th superior 

 infraorbital first appeared at 10.8 mm. At 12.1 mm, the 

 inferior opercular spine became evident. Between 14.2 

 and 17.5 mm, the preocular, tympanic, superior postem- 

 poral, 2 nd anterior preopercular. and 3 rd superior infraor- 

 bital spines formed. After 17.5 mm, no further changes 

 in head spination were noted. The supraocular, coronal, 

 3 rd inferior infraorbital, and 2 nd superior infraorbital 

 spines did not occur on any of the fish examined. 



Body pigmentation 



At 9.1 mm, pygmy rockfish had no pigment along the 

 lateral and ventral body surfaces (Fig. 1A, Table 4). 

 Pigment was heavy on the top of the head and present 



on the operculum. The dorsal midline surface had a 

 few melanophores under the soft dorsal fin. The ante- 

 rior lower jaw was pigmented on the tip and one to two 

 melanophores were present on each side of the snout 

 near the tip. Pigment also was present at the base and 

 on the distal half of the pectoral fin. 



By 14.0 mm, dense pigment along the dorsal midline 

 stretched from the caudal peduncle to the first dorsal-fin 

 spine (Fig. IB, Table 4). The only lateral pigment on the 

 body consisted of a few melanophores along the midline 

 near the caudal peduncle. The ventral surface, includ- 

 ing the anal and pelvic fins, remained unpigmented. 

 Pigment on the pectoral fins had mostly disappeared by 

 11.0 mm and was rarely observed at 14.0 mm. Opercu- 

 lar and head pigment increased in density by 14.0 mm. 

 Pigment along the lower edge of the orbit began to 



