| none |
| short and/or deep |
compressed |
| none |
| elongated |
| |
|
| |
|
| ventral row |
| one dorso-ventral cluster or band |
| melanophores on head |
| ventral row |
| tail partly covered with melanophores |
| melanophores on head |
| unpigmented |
pigmented |
| with row of melanophores |
| fin rays only without melanophores |
| fin rays only without melanophores |
| Diagnostic characters: cross-hatched pattern of muscle fibers visible until 12 mm; gut striations extend from posterior of foregut to entire hindgut; sheath of tissue on foregut in larvae up to about 15 mm; anus migrates anteriorly from myomere 30 to 24 between 3.0 and 30.6 mm; posterior end of dorsal fin initially 2 myomeres in front of origin of anal fin, and overlapping origin of anal fin by 1-2 myomeres in transforming stage; 5-9 small melanophores above and below notochord tip in preflexion larvae; no melanophores dorsally along gut prior to postflexion stage.
Presence of minute teeth on both jaws from early flexion stage. Gut long and with striated hindgut, striations from anterior to pelvic-fin base. Anus migrates anteriorly from myomere 30 to 24 between 3.0 and 30.6 mm. Gas bladder inflated only in larvae caught at night. Presence of scutes and scales form between 27.0 and 30.6 mm.
Sequence of fin development: dorsal (5.0-11.5 mm); anal (5.0-11.5 mm); caudal (5.8-9.5 mm); pelvic (9.5-12.0 mm); pectoral (16.3-20.8 mm). |