612 



Fishery Bulletin 90(3), 1992 



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Figure 3 



Paralichthys adspersus larvae. (A) Early postflexion, 8.8 mm SL; (B) early metamor- 

 phosis, 10.3 mm SL; (C) juvenile, 14.3 mm SL. Bars = 1.0 mm. 



on the medial region of the pelvic 

 fin. At the end of the stage (Fig. 

 IB), the eyes start to pigment. 



During the preflexion stage 

 (Fig. IC, D), stellate melano- 

 phores are present on the head 

 and over the anterior 2/3 of the 

 body. Melanophores are absent 

 on the dorsal finfold. At 3.5mm 

 NL, a series of melanophores 

 forms on each side, slightly dor- 

 sal to the midline. At 4.0mmNL, 

 an embedded series of melano- 

 phores begins to develop dorsal 

 to the notochord. A series of 

 melanophores is present at the 

 ventral margin of the body, from 

 the gular region to the anus. 



Head pigmentation consists of 

 melanophores over both jaws, 

 preopercle, opercle, and dorsal 

 and lateral brain region. At 

 about S.OmmNL, a melanophore 

 is found internally above the 

 palate, where it persists until 

 metamorphosis. 



At the beginning of the flexion 

 stage (Fig. 3A), pigment intensi- 

 fies in the tail region. The dorsal 

 finfold generally remains unpig- 

 mented; however, a few melano- 

 phores appear in some specimens. 

 A paired series of melanophores 

 develops above the dorsum. Tail 

 melanophores concentrate in the 

 ventrolateral region, while the 

 paired series dorsal to the noto- 

 chord is less visible. The paired 

 series dorsal to the gut becomes 

 continuous with the gular-abdom- 

 inal series. Head pigmentation 

 increases The interradial mem- 

 brane of the elongated dorsal-fin 

 rays becomes pigmented. Melano- 

 phores near the tip of the noto- 

 chord persist but migrate as the 

 caudal fin develops. 



During postflexion (Fig. 3B), 

 the melanistic pattern is similar 

 to the previous stage except the 

 paired dorsal series is more evi- 

 dent. The dorsal fin is pigmented, 

 particularly in the posterior half, 

 and the ventral region of the ab- 

 domen becomes pigmented. 



