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| | miscellaneous
families, pending webpages for each family continuous additions and expansions.. |
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| Pomacanthus arcuatus larva, | | 8.2
mm SL | | (San Blas, Panama, SB86-419) |
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| | Diagnosis:
Angelfish with a modal dorsal fin ray count of D-IX,32 indicates Pomacanthus arcuatus.
The related species P. paru has a modal fin ray count of D-X,30. (U) |
| | Description:
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| Tomicodon sp. A, | | 5.5
mm SL | | (note bubblewrap skin D-8 A-8 P25) |
| (San Blas, Panama, SB86-627) | |
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| | | Diagnosis:
A clingfish with no patches of papillae within the pelvic disk and no prominences
on the front of the lower jaw indicates the genus Tomicodon
spp. This larval type has a mode of 8 dorsal and 8 anal fin rays, 25 pectoral
fin rays, and 10 caudal fin rays. A number of species have recently been described
from the Caribbean in addition to the classic T.
fasciatus ((D-7-9 A-6-9 P20-22 C8): T. briggsi, T. clarkei, T. cryptus, T. lavettsmithi,
T. leurodiscus, T. reitzae (D-7-9 A-7-10 C8), T. rhabdotus (D-8-9 A-6-8) and T.
rupestris (D-7-10 A-6-9). | |
| Description: Text will
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Acyrtus
artius Acyrtus rubiginosus Acyrtus pauciradiatus (Noronha, Brazil D-7-8
A-6-8 P20-22)
Acyrtops beryllinus Arcos macrophthalmus
(D-7-8 A-6-7 P23-25 C10)
Gobiesox lucayanus
(P24-26) Gobiesox nudus (D-8-9 A-7)
Gobiesox
punctulatus (P21(19-22) C7-9)
Gobiesox
strumosus (D-10-13 A-9-11 P22-26 C11-13) | |
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| Opistognathus whitehursti larva, |
| 7.9 mm SL | | (San Blas,
Panama, SB86-1002) | |
| Opistognathus whitehursti larva, |
| 8.0 mm SL | (note eye tilted
forward, D-X,
14 A-III,13 P-19) | | (San Blas,
Panama, SB87-225) | | |
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| | Jawfishes
are morphologically very similar and fin ray counts broadly overlap, making species
identifications more difficult. The issue of two vs. three anal fin spines is
confused in the literature, where the use of the term "usually" implies a significant
number of two-spined individuals in three-spined species. Fin ray counts on larvae
argue that two spined larval types should not automatically be assigned to O.
gilberti. | | Opistognathus
aurifrons 11,15-16 III,15-16 19-20
O. whitehurstii 11,14-15 III,13-14
18-20
O. macrognathus 11,16 III,16 19-21
O. maxillosus 11,15
III,15 20-21 usu. II?
O. signatus deep 10 - 11,16 – 17 2 –
3,16–17
O. gilberti 11,13 II,13-14 17-19
O. robinsi fla
bahamas 11,17 2-3,16-18 18-21
O. lonchurus 11,12-13 III,12-13 18-20
Lonchopisthus micrognathus 11,17-18 III,16-17 16-19 |
| | Diagnosis:
A jawfish with fin ray counts of D-XI,14 A-II,13 Pect-18 indicates Opistognathus
whitehursti. The fin ray count overlaps the range of O.
gilberti (and fits the two anal spines characteristic of O.
gilberti), but that species almost always has 13 dorsal fin soft rays.
The possibility of a significant number of individuals with two anal fin spines
in the other species indicates that this larval type is likely the locally very
common jawfish O. whitehursti. | |
| Description: Text will
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| Bregmaceros atlanticus larva, | | 9.9
mm SL | | (San Blas, Panama, SB86-1001) |
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| Bregmaceros atlanticus larva, | | 9.8
mm SL | | (San Blas, Panama, SB86-1001) |
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| | Not a reef
fish, but their larvae and juveniles are frequently encountered in the waters
over reefs. | | | Diagnosis:
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| Description: Text will
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| Centropomus undecimalis larva, |
| 7.1 mm SL | | (San
Blas, Panama, SB86-1001) | |
| Centropomus undecimalis larva, |
| 6.0 mm SL | | (internal
melanophores) | | (San Blas, Panama,
SB86-814) | |
| Centropomus undecimalis larva, |
| 6.5 mm SL | | (internal
melanophores) | | (San Blas, Panama,
SB86-826) | |
| Centropomus undecimalis larva, |
| 7.0 mm SL | | (internal
vertebral melanophores) | | (San
Blas, Panama, SB86-822) | | |
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| Diagnosis:
Snook with modal fin ray counts of D-VIII,I,10 and A-III,6 indicate the common
snook Centropomus undecimalis along with C. ensiferus
and C. parallelus. According to the FAO monograph C.
mexicanus and C. poeyi usually have nine dorsal fin soft rays (and C.
poeyi is only recorded from Mexico to Belize). The sixth Caribbean species,
C. pectinatus, has a mode of seven soft anal
fin rays and 14 instead of 15-16 pectoral fin rays. It is likely that DNA sequencing
will be necessary to distinguish the larvae of species that share fin ray counts.
(U) | | | |
| Two basic forms of larvae occur,
one with prominent internal melanophores wrapping around the vertebrae at the
posterior body and the other without that row. | | |
| Description: Text will
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| Haemulid type 2 larva, | | 5.5
mm SL | | (internal melanophores) |
| (San Blas, Panama, SB86-702) |
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| | Diagnosis:
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| Astrapogon puncticulatus larva, |
| 9.2 mm SL | | (San
Blas, Panama, SB84-523) | | |
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| | Diagnosis:
Cardinalfish with 14-16 pectoral rays indicate the genus Astrapogon.
A. puncticulatus has 16 pectoral rays, while A. alutus has 14 pectoral
rays and A. stellatus almost always has 15
pectoral rays. (U) | |
| Description: Text will Go
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| Eucinostomus sp. larva, | | 5.6
and 4.6 mm SL | | (San Blas,
Panama, SB86-809) | |
| Eucinostomus sp. larva, | | 7.4
mm SL | (early development
of spinous dorsal
fin membrane melanophores) | | (San
Blas, Panama, SB84-529) | |
| Eucinostomus sp. larva, | | 5.9
mm SL | | (San Blas, Panama, SB87-121) |
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| Diagnosis:
Many Caribbean mojarras share the basic fin ray counts of D-IX,10 A-III,7 (or
II,8, i.e. ten anal fin elements) and separating genera and species can be difficult.
Larvae and juveniles typically have the third element of the anal fin segmented
(and not branched in all?). There are seven very similar-appearing Eucinostomus
spp: E. argenteus, E. gula, E. harengulus, E. havana, E. jonesii, E. lefroyi,
E. melanopterus. Gerres cinereus has a much wider body as an adult, and
this feature may apply to larvae. The other two Atlantic genera have eleven anal
fin elements: Diapterus auratus (A-III,8;
or II,9 in larvae) and D. rhombeus (A-II-9),
and Eugerres brasilianus, E. plumieri, and E. mexicanus
from freshwater in Mexico and Guatemala. | |
| Description: Text will
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| Trachinotus falcatus larva, | | 7.9
mm SL | | (Florida, 5-3-04) |
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| | Diagnosis:
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| Description: Text will
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| Scorpaena sp. early transitional larva, |
| 6.6 mm SL | | (San
Blas, Panama, SB84-517) | |
| Scorpaena sp. transitional larva, |
| 6.5 mm SL | | (San
Blas, Panama, SB83-179) | | |
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| | | Diagnosis:
Modal fin ray counts of D-XII,9 A-III,5 indicate the genus Scorpaena. There are
a number of very similar species in the Caribbean that share fin counts. S.
plumieri is the most common on reefs, but S.
albifimbria, S. bergi, S. brasiliensis, S. calcarata, S. grandicornis, and S.
isthmensis are among the shallow-water species that cannot be excluded.
| | Description:
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Coryphopterus B
(vs. Lythrypnus sp.?) |
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| | Diagnosis:
An individual larva with the fin ray count of D-VI,9 A-9 and Pect-15 indicates
Coryphopterus B of Baldwin and Smith (2003) and overlaps some Lythrypnus
spp. This larval type is intermediate in many features between Coryphopterus
spp. and Lythrypnus spp.
Basically, the fin ray counts are too low for the described Coryphopterus spp.,
where C. alloides has a mode of 10 dorsal fin elements and 16-17 pectoral
fin rays, leading Baldwin and Smith (2003) to assign it to an undescribed Coryphopterus
sp. B (note that there are a few differences in the transitional melanophore
pattern of this larva vs. those illustrated in the line drawings of Baldwin and
Smith (2003), but the meristics are the same). Many Lythrypnus
spp. have individuals with the 9/9 fin ray count, although typically they
have one fewer anal fin ray than dorsal fin rays. In addition, this larval type
has 5-7 procurrent caudal fin rays, intermediate between the Lythrypnus
nesiotes larval type and the other Coryphopterus spp. described
below. Further muddying the waters, the transitional larva examined here has at
least a partially-fused pelvic fin with no apparent pelvic frenum, somewhat inconsistent
with both C. alloides which should have mostly divided pelvic fins (but
the pelvic fins of divided-pelvic-fin species can be fused in the larval stage,
see C. personatus below)
and larval Lythrypnus spp.
which should have a pelvic frenum and fused pelvic fins. The distinctive spot
markings on the dorsal aspect of the eyeball in this transitional larva resemble
those on new recruits of C. eidolon,
but the meristics do not match. Additional material and dna sequence analysis
will be required for substantiating the generic assignment of this larval type.
(U) | |
| Description:
Body relatively thin, long and narrow with a large eye and a terminal relatively
small mouth. Pectoral fins long, reaching to the level of the vent. Pelvic fins
long, also reaching to the vent, at least partially-fused at transition with no
apparent frenum, innermost pelvic fin ray slightly shorter than next ray. Dorsal
and anal fin bases relatively short, caudal peduncle long and narrowing rapidly,
5-7 procurrent caudal fin rays (5-6 spindly). Lightly marked mostly along the
lower body: melanophores on the ventral midline at the isthmus and the pelvic
fin insertion and then a row along the anal fin base, paired and one per side
between the third and ninth element. Then, after a space, there is a row of melanophores
extending along the ventral midline of the caudal peduncle ending near the start
of the procurrent caudal fin rays. Internal melanophores are present around the
sacculus, at the dorsal surface of the swim bladder, and around the gut near the
vent. Transitional larvae have a large round eye. Transitional larvae develop
a pattern of large discrete melanophores on the dorsal aspect of the body, most
notably three or four large melanophores over the eyeball, a triangle of three
with the vertex at the anterior midline between the eyes, several around the back
of the braincase and then a row of sometimes paired melanophores along the dorsal
midline of the body back to the soft dorsal fin base. A large stripe of iridophores
extends backward on the head from the upper eye. Melanophores develop along the
first dorsal spine and at the base of the second dorsal fin elements. Note that
in this larva there are no melanophores at the angle of the jaw or on the caudal
fin rays. | | |
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| Coryphopterus B transitional
larva | | 7.3 mm SL | | Banco
Chinchorro, Mexico, coll. D. Jones | |  | | |
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| Thunnus albacares larva, | | 5.2
mm SL | | (San Blas, Panama, SB84-527a) |
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| | Diagnosis:
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| Description: Text will
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