| Leptocephalus larva; nephros at about myomere 66 (61-68); 2 liver lobes; 9 gut loops, straightening at transformation; pigment on loops into juvenile stage; pigmentation midlaterally on each myoseptum; at transformation, caudal rays enclosed in skin, which appear spike-like.
Pigmentation: On tip of lower jaw; on esophagus dorsally near the pectoral fin; 9 patches dorsally on gut; 4-5 patches ventrally on gut; ventrally on postanal myomeres; dorsally and ventrally on tail tip; by 10.6 mm, 2 postanal patches; by 13.3 mm, 4 postanal patches; by about 20 mm, 5 subcutaneous postanal patches in hypaxial myomeres; by about 27 mm, 6 subcutaneous patches in hypaxial myomeres, on anal fin pterygiophores, and on each myoseptum. At transformation, series of pigments on anal fin pterygiophores. In juveniles, presence of pigments internally anterior and posterior to heart; 9th gut patch posterior to anus at nephros; 6 subcutaneous patches barely visible.
Sequence of fin development: caudal, anal, dorsal, pectoral. |