AHLSTROM ET AL.: GONOSTOMATIDAE, STERNOPTYCHIDAE 



187 



Table 50. Dernition of Alphabetical Symbols used for Designating Photophores in Deep Bodied Sternoptychids and Other Stomiiform 



Fishes. 



Other slomiiforms 



Deep bodied slemoplychids 



SO Symphyseal photophores (organs) located at tip of 



lower jaw. 



Orb Photophores associated with the eye located ante- 



rior and posterior of orb it. 



Op Photophores on opercle series generally three, cod- 



ed as follows 1/(1 -I- 1). 



Br(BRP) Photophores located on the branchiostegal mem- 



branes. 



Is(I) Photophores located on the isthmus. 



IP Photophores of the ventral series found from the 



isthmus to the base of the pectoral fin. 



PV Photophores of the ventral series found from the 



pectoral fin base to the pelvic (ventral) fin base. 



VAV Photophores of the ventral series found from the 



pelvic (ventral) fin base to the anal fin base. 



AC Photophores of the ventral senes found from the 



anal fin base to caudal fin base of the ventral se- 

 ries. 



IC Summary of photophores of the ventral series from 



the isthmus to caudal fin base 

 (IP + PV + VAV + AC). 



IV Summary of photophores of the ventral series from 



isthmus to pelvic (ventral) fin base (IP + PV). 



OV Photophores of the lateral series from the opercle 



to pelvic (ventral) fin base. 



VA(VALA) Photophores of the lateral series from the pelvic 



(ventral) fin base to the anal fin base. 



OAA Summary of photophores of OV plus VA series. 



OA(OAB) Summary of lateral photophores from the opercle 



to anal fin base (OV + VA). 



OAC(OC) Entire lateral series on body sides just dorsal to 



ventral series and extending from opercular 

 border, or just medial to it, over anal fin to cau- 

 dal fin base. 



ODM Photophores (organs) found dorsal to the lateral 



midline (found only in Gonosloma gracile). 



SO 



PO 

 PTO 



PRO 



Br 

 Is 

 AB 



PAN 



AN 

 SC 



SAB 



SP 

 L 



SAN 



Subopercle photophore which is equivalent to pos- 

 teriomost photophore in opercular series of gon- 

 ostomatids. 



Photophore located anterior to orbit. 



Photophore located posterior to orbit and may be 

 equivalent to upper photophore of opercular se- 

 ries of gonostomatids. 



Preopercular photophore, used for an PO photo- 

 phore dorsal to ventral limb or preopercle. 



Same as gonostomatid definition. 



Same as gonostomatid definition. 



Photophores of ventral series located abdominally 

 between pectoral fin base and pelvic fin base and 

 equivalent to PV in gonostomatids, plus a few 

 posterior photophores of the IP series. 



Photophores found anterior to anal fin and may be 

 equivalent to VAV or VA in gonostomatids. 



Photophores found above anal fin. 



Photophores found on lower (sub) caudal peduncle. 

 Together with AN group may be equivalent to 

 AC in gonostomatids. 



Photophores located above (supra) to the abdomi- 

 nal series and may be equivalent to VA in gon- 

 ostomatids. 



Photophores located above (supra) the pectoral fin 

 and may be equivalent to OV in gonostomatids. 



Photophore located laterally above PAN (found 

 only in Polyipnus). 



Photophores located above (supra) to anal photo- 

 phores and equivalent to part of AC series. 



Some genera are extremely rare (i.e., Thorophos and Sonoda) 

 while Others represent the most abundant vertebrate animals 

 on earth (Cyclothone and I'incigiierria). 



Developmental information has been published for 16 of these 

 genera (12 prior to Ahlstrom, 1974; 3 by Ahlstrom, 1974; and 

 one by Ozawa, 1976). 



Development 



Eggs.— Eggs were desciibed for Argyropelecus hemigymnus by 

 Sanzo (1928); for Ichthyococcus ovatus by Sanzo (1930b); for 

 Maurolicus muelleri by Sanzo (193 Id), Mito (1961a). and Oki- 

 yama (1971); for Vinciguerna lucetia. V. poweriae. and I', nim- 

 baria by Ahlstrom and Counts ( 1 958); for V. attenuata by Sanzo 

 (193 Id); and for Gonostomadenudatumby Sanzo (\9'i\d). Oth- 

 er accounts provide minimal details of ovarian eggs of other 

 species. The details of egg characters are summarized in Table 

 47. 



Larvae. — Much has been accomplished for the identification of 

 the larvae of these stomiiform genera and now descriptions are 



available for all except Manducus. Triplophos, Polymetme, Pho- 

 tichthys, Thorophos, and Sonoda. The larvae tentatively iden- 

 tified as Polymetme by Ahlstrom ( 1 974), on further examination 

 by one of us (Richards), were determined to be Pollichthys. One 

 stomiiform larval form has been described but not assigned to 

 a genus [designated "Maurolicine Alpha" by Ahlstrom (1974: 

 670)]. It presumably is the larva of some stemoptychid (as de- 

 fined by Weitzman, 1974). Descriptive details and illustrations 

 of several species were given by Ahlstrom (1974). Here we pro- 

 vide new or additional data including characters useful in iden- 

 tifying these larvae and illustrations of all the species described 

 to date, including some illustrated for the first time. 



The identification of stomiiform larvae with elongate gill rak- 

 ers as adults requires a knowledge of developmental data from 

 larvae, juveniles, and data from adults of the following char- 

 acters: counts of fin rays, teeth, and other meristic characters as 

 photophores; patterns of photophore development; and distri- 

 butions (patterns) of dark chromatophores (dark pigment cells). 

 With those sets of data, nearly all species should be identifiable 

 at least to genus, and in cases of complete data, to species. A 



