FishBase
Larvae Information Summary for  Elops affinis
( not available )

Main Ref: Charter, S.R. and H.G. Moser 1996
Yolk-sac larvae
  max min mod Ref.
Length at birth (mm) 5.4      
Preanal L. % TL 88 81 85 35564
Place of development planktonic
Larval area Gulf of California
Yolk-sac       Ref:  
Yolk   Oil globules  
Rows on tail ventral + lateral row
Other melanophores on tail tail partly covered with melanophores
Melanophores on head + trunk melanophores on head + trunk
Leptocephalus larvae.
Post larvae
Striking feature none
Striking shape lateral eel-like dorsal compressed
Striking feature none
Shape of gut tube-like
Gas bladder   early   late  
Spinal armature   early no spines late no spines
Pigmentation early
Rows on tail ventral + lateral row
Other melanophores on tail tail completely covered with melanophores
Melanophores on head + trunk melanophores on head + trunk
Pigmentation late
Rows on tail ventral + lateral row
Other melanophores on tail tail partly covered with melanophores
Melanophores on head + trunk melanophores on head + trunk
Urostyle region   early pigmented late unpigmented
Peritoneum with row of melanophores
Pectorals normal without melanophores
Pelvics normal (i.e. small or absent) without melanophores
Diagnostic characters: leptocephalus; dorsal and anal fin overlap or nearly so; midlateral pigment; depressed head; forked tail; long gut; at transformation, body shrinks and thickens, becoming opaque; apparent forward movement of dorsal and anal fins. Pigmentation: Yolk-sac - pre-flexion: eye pigment not complete at 5.8 mm; 4 midlaterally starting at anus; scaterred over anus; around notochord tip; dorsally on gut; on ventral margin of tail. Flexion: 1 over eye and heart; midlaterally beginning at about 23% BL, ending over anus; less over anus; over notochord; on developing C rays and vertically along hypurals; dorsally on gut; on ventral margin of caudal peduncle. Postflexion: increasing over eye to form a crescentic patch; enlarging over heart; midlaterally becoming vertical dashes between myomere segments; on dorsal surface of gut from throat, becoming horizontal dashes. Sequence of fin development: pectoral fin, principal caudal fin rays, dorsal fin, anal fin, procurrent caudal fin rays, pelvic fin.
Meristic characters
  max min mod Ref.
Total number of myomeres 81 77   35564
  L 1st feeding Ref. Months of presence of larvae
max     Jan Feb Mar Apr
min   May Jun Jul Aug
mod     Sep Oct Nov Dec
Water parameters     Metric characters
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