| other |
| normal (not striking) |
tadpole-like |
| other |
| |
| |
|
| no spines |
no spines |
| no rows |
| two dorso-ventral clusters or bands |
| melanophores on head + trunk |
| no rows |
| two dorso-ventral clusters or bands |
| melanophores on head + trunk |
| without melanophores |
| normal with rows of melanophores |
| normal (i.e. small or absent) without melanophores |
| The preanal part of the body is larger in proportion than in adults. HL is 20% SL and predorsal length is 43.5% SL. The lower lip is notched anteriorly and expanded posteriorly covering a smaller proportion of the body (14.5% SL than in adults. The lips are covered with papillae but, except for the postero-lateral corners of the anterior lips, papillae are not elongate as in adults. There are no teeth visible in the mouth.
Fin elements are developed and the anterior spines in the dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins are differentiated from the rays but the spines are still flexible and therefore have not ossified. The elongate filament on the dorsal lobe of the caudal fin has not begun to develop. There is no evidence of scutes developing anywhere.
Pigmentation: Ventral surfaces are immaculate. Dorsal surface of the body has melanophores concentrated in three saddles. The first saddle begins approximately at the base of the first dorsal fin ray and extends posteriorly past the insertion of the dorsal fin. Melanophores are denser in the posterior part of this saddle. The second saddle is on the caudal peduncle about halfway between the dorsal and caudal fins. The third saddle extend ventrally to about midbody. At that point, there is a vague dark band that begins at the head, runs along midbody, and disappears on the caudal peduncle.
The dorsal surface of the head is weakly speckled with melanophores. There are discrete dark melanophores concentrated in two lines that begin anterior to the eye and run medially to the nares and out to the tip of the snout. Two broad dark blotches are located ventral to the eye and extend anteriorly to the nares. The eyes are darkly pigmented.
Interradial membranes of the dorsal fin are darkly pigmented at the base. The pigment extends about halfway to the dorsal margin in the anterior part of the fin and decreases in extent posteriorly. Pigment is also on the rays of the pectoral fins occupying the middle third of the fin. This pigment appears as a dark band across the pectoral fins. |