KENDALL: SERRANIDAE 



501 



Table 123. Continued. 



ELH descnptions 



Fourmanoir (1976)— Po 

 Fourmanoir (1976)— T 



Kendall (1977, I979)-Pr-Po. U-is and Rennis (1983)-Pr-Po 

 Aboussouan (1972b)-Po, Kendall (1977, 1979)-Po 



' Randall (1980) includes in Plectranthias: Sayanura, hobuna. Xenanlhias. Pleranthias, Zatanthias. Serranops. Peionlnis. and Zacallanlhias 

 *• Subdivisions follow Johnson (1983). 



' Tortonese (1973) states thai Bertolini (1933b) and Sparta (1935) described Mycteroperca ruba larvae as Ephmephetus alexandnnus and that this mistake has been continued in more recent 

 literature 



rygiophore arrangement (Johnson, 1983). The first and third 

 dorsal spines and the anal spines are also stout and may bear 

 serrations. The spine at the angle of the preopercular is elongate 

 and serrate; there are two smaller spmes dorsal and ventral to 

 the one at the angle, and these may also bear serrations. There 

 is a serrate spine on the supracleithrum. The body is "kite- 

 shaped"; pigment lines the body cavity and there is a large, 

 conspicuous spot on the caudal peduncle that migrates from the 

 ventral midline to a midlateral position during flexion. 



Grammistini-Liopropomini. — The body is roughly tubular with 

 a deep caudal peduncle. Among the bones in the opercular series 

 the preopercular is armed with about five elongated, simple 

 spines. One or two dorsal fin spines become quite elongate, and 

 are thin and flexible with pigmented membranous sheaths around 

 them. Bodies of the larvae are practically devoid of pigment 

 throughout development. 



The following is a summary of the current status of the sys- 

 tematics and knowledge of larval morphology of each of the 

 subfamilies of serranids (Table 123). 



Serraninae 



There has been no revision of this primarily Atlanto-Amer- 

 ican subfamily, and little work on relationships among species 

 in the various genera (Bortone, 1977). These are considered the 

 least specialized of the serranids and are riiainly united by shared 

 possession of basal percoid characters rather than unique spe- 

 cializations, which would allow a definitive statement about 

 monophyly. They possess the four serranid specializations as 

 mentioned by Johnson (1983), are hermaphroditic or second- 

 arily gonochoristic (see Kendall, 1977). have a common pre- 

 dorsal bone pattern (0/0/0/2), and a fairly coherent larval mor- 

 phology (Fig. 266). 



The larvae of Schulcea. Dules. Acanihistius, and Crulmus 

 are unknown. The following summary of what is known of the 

 larval morphology of the rest of the serranines is based primarily 

 on Kendall (1977, 1979). The only more recent contributions 

 to serranine larval knowledge are the descriptions of Paralabra.x 

 (Butler et al., 1982). 



Centropnstis.— Only one larval type is known, although four 

 species are named. The eggs and yolk-sac larvae have been 

 described from reared specimens. Development is typical of 

 serranines with small simple spines on the preopercular. The 

 first and second dorsal fins develop at about the same rate; there 



are no elongate or armed fin spines. Most pigment is in blotches 

 in characteristic serranine positions. The body gradually as- 

 sumes the adult shape. 



Paralabra.x— Biil\eT et al. ( 1 982) reared from eggs and described 

 development of the three species found off California. These 

 larvae vary from the general serranine pattern of development, 

 primarily in having pigmented membranes of the pectoral, pel- 

 vic, first dorsal, and anal fins variously developed among the 

 species. Pigment is also variously present on the body ventral 

 to the first dorsal fin. 



Serraniculus. — Larvae of the only species (S. pumilio) are deeper 

 bodied and have more lateral pigment than other serranines. 

 The flank pigment is composed of three series of dashes (one 

 along the midlateral septum and one along the base of the dorsal 

 and anal fins) and superficial small spots over much of the trunk. 

 The ventral midline spots are small and rather uniform in size. 

 The first dorsal fin develops concurrently with the second dorsal, 

 and the spines are no longer than the rays. 



Diplectrum— Two distinct types of larvae with the meristic 

 characters of this genus were found in both Atlantic and Pacific 

 material. One type (Type 1 ) closely follows the serranine pattern 

 of development, the main difference being in the early devel- 

 opment of the spinous dorsal and pelvic fins. The ventral mid- 

 line pigment spots seem more uniform in size than in other 

 genera, and there is pigment on some of the fin membranes. 

 Larvae of the other type (Type 2) are quite different from other 

 serranine larvae in that the pectoral and pelvic fins develop 

 early and are enlarged and pigmented on their distal thirds. The 

 body is practically devoid of pigment except for two spots on 

 the caudal peduncle— one dorsal and one ventral, and an inter- 

 nal diffuse area of pigment lateral to the anterior part of the 

 anal fin that develops after the fin rays are formed. 



Serranus. — Larvae of this genus from both sides of the Atlantic 

 have been described, and reared eggs and yolk-sac larvae were 

 among the first serranids descnbed (Raffaele, 1888). These lar- 

 vae differ from the serranid pattern of development in having 

 eariy-forming elongate dorsal spines and a deeper body. In 5. 

 cabrilla the pelvic spines develop before any other fin rays and 

 they and the third dorsal spine become quite elongate. Some of 

 the smaller ventral melanophores seen in other serranines are 

 absent from Serranus larvae, while some of the larger spots are 



