HOUDE: BREGMACEROTIDAE 



305 



Table 84. Size at Appearance of Occipital Ray and Pigmentation Characteristics of Bregmaceros Larvae in Two Length Ranges. 

 See Figures 153-156. In addition to pigment described, all Bregmaceros larvae have internal pigment on dorsal surface of visceral mass. 



Species 



Size at 



appearance of 



occipital ray 



(mm SL) 



^ .1 mm SL 



Distinctive pigmentatii 



5-10 mm SL 



B. macclctlandi 



B. atlanticus 



B. nectabanus 



B. canlori 



B. ransquamosus 



B bathyniastcr 



B. arabicus 



B. Type A 



2.0-2.5 Melanophore at angle of jaw and tip of lower jaw; 

 scattered melanophores on head and at base of 

 pectoral fin. A few large, internal stellate mela- 

 nophores in double row on side of body and 

 tail. Melanophores on ventral surface of viscer- 

 al mass. 

 -5.0-5.5 Melanophore at angle of jaw and tip of lower jaw. 

 Scattered melanophores, on head and over 

 midbrain and at base of pectoral fin. Scattered, 

 large internal stellate melanophores on side of 

 body. Diffuse melanophores, some dendritic, 

 on surface of trunk and tail. 



6.0-7.0 Single melanophores at angle of jaw, over hind- 

 brain, on nape and just anterior to anus. Dif- 

 fuse melanophores in short, double row on side 

 of tail and also in dorsal and ventral finfolds 

 directly above and below the double row. Me- 

 lanophore on ventral side of tail, just anterior 

 to notochord tip. 



6.0-7.0 Melanophore at angle of jaw. A few small mela- 

 nophores on ventral surface of visceral mass. 



6.0-7.0 Melanophore at angle of jaw and on lower jaw 



tip; also over hindbrain. Few scattered melano- 

 phores on ventral surface of visceral mass. Dif- 

 fuse melanophores in three patches on side of 

 tail. Melanophore on dorsal surface of tail just 

 antenor to notochord lip. 



6.5-7.5 Melanophore at angle of jaw and at anus. A few 

 scattered melanophores on ventral surface of 

 visceral mass. A row of 5-7 melanophores on 

 the ventral side of the tail. 



6.0-7.0 Melanophore at tip of lower jaw and on ramus of 

 lower jaw (elongate melanophore). Often a few 

 scattered melanophores on ventral surface of 

 visceral mass. Diffuse pigment in three patches 

 on side of tail. Melanophore on side of tail just 

 anterior to notochord tip. Single melanophore 

 over forebrain. 



2.0-2.5 Melanophore at angle of jaw and on tip of lower 

 jaw. Scattered melanophores over hindbrain. 

 Melanophores on occipital ray. 



Small, scattered melanophores over surface of head 

 and body but not on posterior part of tail. Sev- 

 eral, large, internal stellate melanophores in a 

 double row on side of body and tail. 



Many melanophores over surface of head and 

 body, including dorsal, anal and caudal fins. Lar- 

 va more or less "completely" pigmented. 



Melanophore at angle of jaw. A few melanophores 

 on tail just anterior to its lip and sometimes one 

 or two melanophores at base of caudal fin. Inter- 

 nal melanophores on side of body, between 

 origins of dorsal and anal fins and also in tail 

 midway between origins of those fins and lip of 

 tail. 



Melanophore at angle of jaw. A large melanophore 

 often present over forebrain. Internal pigment 

 visible near otoliths and just antenor to insertion 

 of pectoral fins. Internal pigment sometimes visi- 

 ble along developing vertebral column. 



Melanophore at angle of jaw. Large, intense group 

 of melanophores in caudal fin. Scattered melano- 

 phores on anterior, ventral surface of visceral 

 mass. Some internal melanophores along devel- 

 oping vertebral column in tail, just antenor to its 

 lip. 



Melanophore at angle of jaw and on ramus of lower 

 jaw. Melanophores on snout and on surface over 

 fore- and midbrain. Melanophore at anus and 

 two or more melanophores on dorsum just under 

 base of anterior third of second dorsal fin. In- 

 tense group of melanophores in caudal fin. Inter- 

 nal pigment along developing vertebral column 

 in peduncle region. 



Melanophore at tip of lower jaw and an elongate 

 melanophore on ramus of lower jaw. Several me- 

 lanophores in base of caudal fin and a few scat- 

 tered melanophores on tail just anterior to caudal 

 fin. 



Melanophore at angle of jaw. Scattered melano- 

 phores over fore-, mid- and hindbrain and on 

 nape. Melanophores on occipital ray and in pel- 

 vic fins. Scattered melanophores on ventral sur- 

 face of anterior half of visceral mass sometimes 

 present. 



tion. The smallest B. macclellandi and B. atlanticus larvae po- 

 tentially could be confused, based on pigmentation alone. Breg- 

 maceros macclellandi has less external pigment and internal 

 pigment on tail and body is more clearly organized into two 

 rows than that of B. atlanticus. 



As larvae grow pigmentation becomes less reliable as a means 

 to identify them. Nevertheless, the patterns are distinctive enough 

 to allow tentative identification (Figs. 1 55 and 1 56), which can 

 be confirmed by considering meristic characters. Because of 

 identification errors, there are erroneous descriptions of pig- 



mentation in the literature. For example, larvae of fi. nectabanus 

 < 10 mm do have a melanophore at the jaw angle, although the 

 review literature indicates that it is absent (D'Ancona and Cav- 

 inato, 1965; Belyanina, 1974). 



Meristic characters (Table 83). — Excepl for B. arabicus. neritic 

 species have lower myomere, vertebrae and median fin ray counts 

 than do B. macclellandi or B. atlanticus. The lowest meristics 

 occur in B. rarisquamosus and the highest in B. macclellandi. 

 The neritic B. arabicus has meristics similar to those of B. 



