90 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
short compressed body, the blunt head, short snout, strongly oblique mouth, the fin 
formulae (D. X-I, 24 to 27; A. II, 6 or 7), and the dark crossbars. Although only 
3 bars are developed, whereas adults have 7 to 9, they are an aid in distinguishing 
the species. 
Specimens 35 to J+0 millimeters long . — The most evident advancement in the devel- 
opment since a length of about 25 millimeters was attained is in color. Pigmentation 
is general, and about seven dark crossbars are present. The broad one under the base 
of the spinous dorsal, present in smaller fish, shows indications of dividing into two 
narrower bars. The caudal fin remains nearly as long and pointed as in fish 25 milli- 
meters long. The second anal spine has become very strong, as in the adult, and is 
only a little shorter than the snout and eye. The pectoral fins have become propor- 
tionately shorter and extend only to the tips of the ventrals, which scarcely reach the 
origin of the anal. The serrations on the preopercular margin have decreased in size, 
but remain somewhat more prominent than in the adult. 
Specimens 60 to 65 millimeters long . — The proportionate depth (2.6 to 2.8 in the 
length) is about the same as in the fully matured fish, but the body remains more 
Figure 33 . — Larimus fascialus. From a specimen 24 millimeters long. 
compressed. Specimens of this size differ from the adult conspicuously in the long 
pointed tail, the longest rays of which exceed the length of the head by at least an 
eye’s diameter. The color pattern of the adult is quite fully developed. The ground 
color is silvery, the back in preserved specimens being slightly brownish. The 
sides have from about 7 to 9 dark bands. The spinous dorsal, the anal, ventrals, 
and pectorals are largely dusky to black, and the other fins are plain or somewhat 
punctulate with dusky. 
The caudal fin generally does not acquire the characteristic shape it has in the 
adult (the upper lobe slightly concave and the lower one rounded) until the fish reaches 
a length of about 100 millimeters. In the adult, as in the young, the middle rays are 
the longest, but they do not exceed the head in length. When the fish reaches a 
length of about 100 millimeters the body has increased considerably in robustness, 
and this increase continues until the fish is full grown. 
