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Larvae Information Summary for  Menticirrhus americanus
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Main Ref: Scotton, L.N., R.E. Smith, N.S. Smith, K.S. Price and D.P. de Sylva 1973
Yolk-sac larvae
  max min mod Ref.
Length at birth (mm)     1.7 39467
Preanal L. % TL        
Place of development planktonic
Larval area Delaware Bay
Yolk-sac       Ref:  
Yolk   Oil globules  
Rows on tail ventral + lateral row
Other melanophores on tail no other melanophores
Melanophores on head + trunk no melanophores on head or trunk
Head robust; larval teeth present, pigment lines ventrally and mid-laterally. At 2.9 mm, the chief recognition marks are the deep anterior half of the body, slender tail, and 2 black pigment lines on caudal portion of the body.
Post larvae
Striking feature other
Striking shape lateral other dorsal  
Striking feature other
Shape of gut triangular
Gas bladder   early   late  
Spinal armature   early   late  
Pigmentation early
Rows on tail no rows
Other melanophores on tail tail partly covered with melanophores
Melanophores on head + trunk melanophores on head
Pigmentation late
Rows on tail no rows
Other melanophores on tail tail partly covered with melanophores
Melanophores on head + trunk melanophores on head + trunk
Urostyle region   early unpigmented late unpigmented
Pectorals normal without melanophores
Pelvics normal (i.e. small or absent) without melanophores
At 3.8 mm, tail deeper than before; dark pigment on premaxilla. At 5.8 mm, body more rotund; about 25 myomeres; caudal fin well developed and rounded; soft rays of 2nd dorsal and anal mostly differentiated. At 8 mm SL, body proportionately more slender; head broader; spinous dorsal evident; caudal fin pointed (rays nearly as long as head length); middle portion of body with scattered chromatophores. At 10.0 mm, greatest body depth about 3.6 to 3.8 in SL; full complement of fin rays; caudal fin symmetrical and very pointed; dark pigment nearly everywhere. Distinguishable from M. saxatilis by: long, pointed and nearly symmetrical caudal fin; by nearly colorless ventral fins and partly black spinous dorsal.
  L 1st feeding Ref. Months of presence of larvae    Ref. 
max     Jan Feb Mar Apr
min   May Jun Jul Aug
mod     Sep Oct Nov Dec
Water parameters     Metric characters
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