JOHNSON: PERCOIDEI 



473 



.% 





^-'^V,-:-. 



Fig. 260. (A) Centrarchidae— .•)«iWop//fM rupestris. 10.5 mm TL, from Fish (1932); (B) Simperca (=Coreoperca) kawamebari. 9.0 mm TL, 

 from Imai and Nakahara (1957); (C) Pemdae — Perca flavescens. 14.2 mm TL, from Mansueti (1964); (D) Percichthyidae— A/aa-w//oc/!e//a 

 macquanensis, size unknown, from Dakin and Kesteven (1938); (E) Lateolabrax japomcus. 13.7 mm TL, from Mito (1957b); (F) Moronidae — 

 Morone amencana. 13.2 mm TL, from Mansueti (1964); (G) Centropomidae— Ce«rrapo«ii« undecimatis. 6.3 mm SL, from Lau and Shafland 

 (1982). 



vergence and convincingly document the uniqueness of derived 

 features. With this in mind, I have compiled information about 

 selected morphological features of adults (Table 1 20) and larvae 

 (Table 121) for each percoid family or inceriae sedis genus. This 

 information was compiled from the literature (particularly the 

 meristic data) and from my own examination of cleared and 

 stained specimens and radiographs. Data for a few groups were 

 compiled by experts working on those groups. For many fam- 

 ilies. I examined at least one representative of each genus, but 

 obviously this was not always possible and only in a few of the 

 smaller families were all species examined. As a consequence, 

 this data will not reflect the full range of variability for every 

 family but should represent a reasonably close approximation. 

 Most features considered in Table 1 20 are discussed below. 



Fins— The primitive perciform complement of one spine and 

 five rays (I, 5) in the pelvic fin is the most consistent feature of 



percoid fins. A single spine is always present and fewer than 

 five soft rays are found only in the Acanthoclinidae (I. 2), Con- 

 grogadidae (I, 2-4 or absent), Plesiopidae (I, 4), Pseudochro- 

 midae (I, 3-5) and the percichthyid Gadopsis (I, 1). 



The primitive and most common number of principal caudal 

 fin rays (branched rays + 2) is 9 + 8. Where reductions occur 

 (in 18 families) they usually involve one fewer principal ray 

 dorsally and/or ventrally and are frequently consistent within 

 families, e.g.. 8 + 7 in Cheilodactylidae. Chironemidae. Cir- 

 rhitidae. Latrididae and Mullidae. and 8 + 8 in Acanthoclini- 

 dae, Priacanlhidae, and Scatophagidae. The most extreme re- 

 duction (4-6 branched + 4-8 branched) is seen in the 

 Congrogadidae. The only apparent increases, 10 + 9 found in 

 some grammatids and plesiopids, do not result from an in- 

 creased number of rays articulating with the hypurals, but from 

 branching of the outermost hypural-associated rays. Numbers 

 of procurrent or secondary caudal rays dorsally and ventrally 



Fig. 259. (A) Ge:m\(ia.e— Eucinostomus sp., 8.7 mm SL; (B) HaemuWAae — Xenistius californiensis. 6.5 mm SL; (C) HaemuXiAae — Pseudo- 

 prislipoma nigra. 5.8 mm SL, from Leis and Rennis (1983); (D) HaemuVxdae-Conodon nobdis. 9.8 mm SL; (E) Mullidae. 8.2 mm SL. from 

 Miller et al. (1979); (F) Sillaginidae— .S'///tig<) .«/;ama. 9.0 mm TL, from llchida et al. (1958); (G) M\!:TocaM\\'\dae — Microcanlhussthgatus. 7.1 

 mm TL. from Uchida et al. (1958); (H) Tcraponidae— F/icrapo/i iheraps. 9.5 mm. from Zvjagina (1965b); (I) Emmelichthyidae— £o'''"'octe 

 schlegeh. 6.9 mm TL. from Nakahara (1962); (J) Kyp\\o%\dae- Kyphosus anerascens. 9.8 mm TL. from Uchida et al. (1958). 



