6 or more prominent preopercular spines; supraocular, posttemporal, interopercular and subopercular spines form during flexion stage; supracleithral, pterotic, and lachrymal spines added in postflexion stage; spiny scales form during postflexion stage; myomeres 10-12+13-16=25-26 (usually 12+14); heavily pigmented except on end of tail.
Pigmentation:
Preflexion-flexion: Little dorsally on head; on snout, jaws, opercular area; laterally on midbrain and around hindbrain and anteriorly on notochord; along most myosepta except last 5, extending caudad to all but last 2 myomeres by about 3.9 mm; few along ventral margin of tail to last myomere; 0-4 (usually 1) under notochord tip; dorsally on gas bladder; heavy on ventral margin of isthmus and gut; on dorsal and anal fin bases after 3.5 mm; on pelvic fin base by 3.9 mm; band on anal finfold; 0-few on dorsal finfold after 3.6 mm.
Postflexion: Uniformly heavy on head and body except end of caudal peduncle; on proximal half of most anal fin rays; little, posteriorly on dorsal fin rays; little, proximally on pelvic fin rays.
Sequence of fin development: principal caudal fin rays, second dorsal and anal, first dorsal and pectoral and pelvic and procurrent caudal fin rays. |