FishBase |
Main Ref: | Jones, P.W., F.D. Martin and J.D. Hardy Jr. 1978 |
max | min | mod | Ref. | |
Length at birth (mm) | 10 | 5.7 | ||
Preanal L. % TL | 70 | 4639 |
Place of development | planktonic | |||
Larval area | Mid-Atlantic Bight (Delaware Bay) | |||
Yolk-sac | spherical pigmented | Ref: | ||
Yolk | Oil globules | no oil globule | ||
Rows on tail | ventral + lateral row | |||
Other melanophores on tail | tail partly covered with melanophores | |||
Melanophores on head + trunk | melanophores on trunk | |||
Body slender, depth in advanced specimens 0.05 of TL. In newly hatched, yolk is subspherical; head detached from yolk; mouth open but without free passage through esophagus; eyes large, dark, protuberant. By 3rd day, jaws, gill arches, and 2 pairs of recurved teeth in lower jaw forming; incipient rays of pectorals formed; notochord thick, distinctly granular; gut striated; renal apparatus conspicuous, extending from above yolk to anus. Pigmentation: Body is transparent. Yolk sac covered with diffuse network of stellate chromatophores. Mid-ventral line of pigment sometimes present on isthmus. A line of chromatophores along juncture of yolk sac and body and continuing along junction of intestine and body to anus. A closely approximated double line of pigment on ventral aspect of intestine from 18th myomere to anus. A fine network of pigment usually present on lateral surface of intestine, most dense near anus. Stellate chromatophores on lateral surfaces of body, mostly between level of notochord and intestine, extending from yolk to beyond anus. Few spots above and below notochord in area of future caudal fin. |
Striking feature | none | |||
Striking shape lateral | normal (not striking) | dorsal | normal (not striking) | |
Striking feature | none | |||
Shape of gut | tube-like | |||
Gas bladder early | visible | late | ||
Spinal armature early | no spines | late | no spines | |
Pigmentation early | ||||
Rows on tail | ventral + lateral row | |||
Other melanophores on tail | no other melanophores | |||
Melanophores on head + trunk | melanophores on head + trunk | |||
Pigmentation late | ||||
Rows on tail | ventral + lateral row | |||
Other melanophores on tail | no other melanophores | |||
Melanophores on head + trunk | melanophores on head + trunk | |||
Peritoneum | with row of melanophores | |||
Pectorals | normal melanophores at fin base | |||
Pelvics | normal (i.e. small or absent) without melanophores | |||
Body long and slender, increasing in relative depth throughout stage. Auditory vesicles still evident at 21.0 mm. Gas bladder evident by 14 mm TL. Pigmentation: Up to 13 mm TL, two lines of pigment beginning at pectoral bases and continuing along venter and intestine diverge rapidly causing both lines to exhibit a double bending, appearing as short dashes; pigment on isthmus decreased; a line of chromatophores ventrolaterally between head and caudal peduncle. At 14-16 mm TL, diverging lines of pigment along venter generally terminating at 14th or 15th myomere; chromatophores sometimes present along dorsal wall of intestine between dorsal fin and anus; few chromatophores on caudal fin. Larger specimens highly variable; additional pigment develops on snout, operculum, and dorsal surfaces of head and body. Specimens from freshwater more heavily pigmented than those from brackish water. Sequence of fin development: By 14 mm TL, finfold greatly reduced; anlagen of dorsal fin developed; incipient caudal rays formed; urostyle directed slightly upward; rudimentary pelvics evident at 18 mm; preanal finfold retained throughout stage. At 21-22.9 mm, pectorals and ventrals still developing. |
max | min | mod | Ref. | |
Total number of myomeres | 57 | 55 | 4639 |
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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