REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCIAENIDAE 
79 
Specimens J^.5 to 5.5 millimeters long . — The fish has become much more shapely 
than it was at a length of about 3.5 millimeters. It is quite deep and strongly com- 
pressed throughout, and the break in the ventral outline at the vent has almost dis- 
appeared, a space exceeding in length the diameter of the eye between the vent and 
origin of the anal being occupied by a transparent membrane. The distance from the 
snout to the vent is contained 2.0 to 2.3 times in the length to the base of the caudal, 
distance from vent to base of caudal 1.9 to 2.1 times, and the greatest depth 2.6 to 
2.8 times. The cavernous nature of the skull is quite evident from the large vacant 
spaces occurring above the brain and around the snout. The eye and snout are of 
Figure 21 .—Slellifcr lanceolatus. From a specimen 3.3 millimeters long. 
about equal length. The preopercular margin has several prominent spines at its 
lower angle. The mouth is oblique, the gape anteriorly is about on a level with the 
lower margin of the pupil, and the maxillary reaches below the middle of the eye. 
The fins, exclusive of the spinous dorsal and the ventrals which remain rudimentary, 
are quite well developed. About 22 rays can be counted in the soft dorsal and 10 
in the anal (the spines and the soft rays not being differentiated in the latter). The 
caudal fin is moderately long and somewhat pointed. A few dark points remain on 
the median line of the chest and abdomen, but are less evident than in younger fish. 
The elongate black spot at the end of the base of the anal persists and is variable in 
size and intensity among specimens. A slight dark spot remains evident at the origin 
of the anal in some individuals, though missing in others. The black on the inner 
surface of the base of the pectoral, prominent in the younger stages described, has 
disappeared entirely according to the specimens at hand. A slight shoulder spot 
and a few dark markings behind it, which extend to the vent, still persist. It is 
evident that the last-mentioned color markings are below the surface of the body, 
and apparently consist of a dark membrane on the dorsal wall of the abdominal cavity. 
A faint dark bar has appeared at the base of the caudal fin (fig. 22). 
