| Distinctive pigment pattern, particularly series at lateral midline, extended series at dorsal midline, and embedded series above spinal column; short head spines.
Pigmentation:
Preflexion: initially, postanal dorsal, ventral, and lateral series, 1 to several at nape, patch above brain, embedded in otic region, and dorsolaterally on gut; 29-49 in ventral midline series (from 1st to 16th postanal myomere), 7-19 in dorsal series (from 4th to 15th postanal myomere), 1-6 in lateral series; later in stage, on ventral gut, forebrain, lower jaw angle, hypural region (some specimens), lower jaw tip, and embedded above anterior region (some specimens), lower jaw tip, and embedded above anterior region of spinal column.
Flexion: dorsal midline series becomes continuous from nape to caudal region as does series embedded above spinal column; nasal region; upper region of opercle; maxillary; posterior to eye; upper and lower regions of pectoral fin blade.
Postflexion: on pelvic fins, inner surface of pectoral base, and scattered on first dorsal fin.
Sequence of fin development: caudal, pectorals, anal and dorsal and pelvics.
Also Ref. 34817. |