Table 15. Stands 

 larvae tal 



irdized numbers (A), mean length in mm with standard deviation (B), and size range in tm of Sebastes , 

 ken on CalCOFI cruises of 1966. There was no cruise during March, and S. jordani were not ta'fceii 

 from May to December. Stations in central California were not occupied in February. 



Sebastes levis (Eigenmann and Eigemnann), 

 Figure 11 



Literature. — Newborn larvae of S. levis, the cow rock- 

 fish or cowcod, were illustrated in Moser (1967a). 



Distinguishing features. — Larvae of S. levis are 

 about 5.0 mm long at birth; they achieve the relatively 

 large size of about 20 mm. A specimen 21.3 mm was just 

 beginning to develop the lateral pigment saddles typical 

 of pelagic juveniles, whereas transformation has 

 progressed far enough in a 19.1-mm specimen to classify it 

 as a pelagic juvenile. The pelagic juvenile phase appears 

 to be protracted since pelagic juveniles up to 58 mm were 

 taken in midwater trawls and the smallest demersal 

 juvenile found was 66.5 mm. 



The large fanlike pectoral fins are diagnostic features 

 of cow rockfish larvae and attain the greatest size of any 

 species of Sebastes in the CalCOFI collections. Their 

 length increases from 9"^ of the body length in newborn 

 larvae to 46% at the completion of notochord flexion 

 (Table 16). Pectoral fin length in the few large larval 

 specimens is 41 to 45% of the body length. The large pec- 

 toral fins are characteristic of pelagic juveniles; 19- and 

 33-mm specimens had fin lengths 46 and 47% of the body 

 length. In larger pelagic juveniles the pectorals become 

 relatively smaller; fin length in a 47-mm specimen was 

 38% of the body length and in a 58-mm specimen it was 

 32%. 



The melanistic pigmentation of cow rockfish larvae is 

 also an aid to identification. Newborn larvae have a mel- 



Table 16. Measurements {mn) of Sebastes levis larvae. (Speciniens between dashed lines 

 are undergoing notocnord flexion.) 



•Pelagic Juvenile. 

 "Benthic juvenile. 



anistic shield over the gut, a patch of melanophores over 

 the brain, heavy pigmentation on the tip of the lower jaw, 

 and a moderate number of melanophores in the ventral 

 midline series (mean of 17 with a range of 13 to 22 for 20 

 specimens counted). The pectoral fin is covered with fine 

 melanophores that are concentrated in a band at the dis- 

 tal margin. With the rapid growth of the fin in larvae 

 between 6 and 7 mm, the melanophores on the major 

 part of the pectoral are lost but the marginal band 

 remains prominent. With further development, the mar- 

 ginal band widens so that in larvae of 11 mm the fin is 

 covered solidly with fine melanophores. This pigment is 

 retained in pelagic juveniles. When the larvae transform 

 into pelagic juveniles at about 20 mm, pigment saddles 

 begin to develop along the anterior region of the trunk. 

 Additional saddles develop posteriorly and with further 

 enlargement they become distinct bands. These are evi- 

 dent in pelagic juveniles as small as 33 mm and are 

 retained in demersal juveniles and adults. 



Distribution. — Adult cow rockfish have a com- 

 paratively limited geographic range from central Califor- 

 nia to central Baja California with a principal dis- 

 tribution off southern California. The larvae are rare in 

 CalCOFI samples; only 30 (standardized number) were 

 found in collections from 1951, 1952, 1953, 1961, and 

 1969. Their geographic distribution suggests that, in 

 terms of reproduction, the cow rockfish is essentially a 

 species of the California Bight (Fig. 12). Cow rockfish lar- 

 vae were taken from January to June but in such low 

 numbers that months of maximum abundance could not 

 be determined. 



Sebastes cortezi (Beebe and Tee-Van), Figure 13 



Literature.— The literature contains no descriptions 

 of Sebastes larvae from the Gulf of California. The tax- 

 onomy of adult Sebastes in the Gulf is poorly known; 

 however, Chen (1975) has recently reviewed the species 

 of Sebastes from these waters. The larval series described 

 herein as S. cortezi was identified by raeristic characters 

 and transitional specimens provided by Chen. 



Distinguishing features. — At birth, S. cortezi larvae, 

 like Sebastes larvae of the outer coast are 4.0 to 5.0 mm 

 long. The largest specimen in the series (17.1 mm) was 

 beginning to transform. 



The most notable morphological features of S. cortezi 

 larvae are the short pectoral fins which have a slight dor- 

 sad orientation for most of the larval period, and the 



22 



