466 



ONTOGENY AND SYSTEM ATICS OF FISHES -AHLSTROM SYMPOSIUM 



Fig. 254. (A) Symphysanodon sp., 5.1 mm SL; (B) Acropomatidae— Sv/!agropi sp., 8.5 mm SL; (C) \cTopomn\iidie—Acropomajaponicuin, 

 6.0 mm SL, from Y. Konishi (unpubl.); (D) \cropomai\Aae — Doederleinia herycoides. 8.0 mm SL, from Okiyama (1982b); (E) Polyprion ameri- 

 canus. 12.2 mm TL, from Sparta (1939a); (F) Slereolepis doederleim. 1.1 mm SL, from Okiyama (1982b); (G) X^ohoxKAat — Lobotessunnamensis. 

 6.0 mm TL, from Uchida et al. (1958); (H) Hapahgenys sp., 7.3 mm SL, from Okiyama (1982b). 



ing and parental-care behavior, and this behavioral "synapo- the search for its origins to the Centrarchidae. Quite the con- 



morphy" is not shared by Elassoma (Breder and Rosen, 1966; trary, I believe the affinities of Elassoma will be shown to lie 



M. F. Mettee, pers. comm.). Consequently, though Elassoma outside the Percoidei and, perhaps, outside the Perciformes. 

 may be a product of paedomorphosis, I see no reason to limit My preliminary findings indicate that Elassoma possesses a 



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