| Among largest myctophid larvae at transformation (>20.0 mm SL); early larvae slender but relative body depth doubles in later stages; only Br2 develops during larval period; distinguished from all other myctophids except Tarletonbeania crenularis by: enlarged median folds; distinguished from T. crenularis by: eye moderately narrow, no choroid tissue on ventral surface of eye; band on head between eyes.
Compressed body with voluminous dorsal and ventral finfolds; large head; relatively wide oval eyes; elongate gut with large terminal section; large pectoral fins with elongate ornamented lower ray; dorsal and anal fins far posteriad; distinctive pigment pattern, including transverse bar between fore- and midbrain (lacking in Tarletonbeania crenularis).
Pigment:
Preflexion: by 4.0 mm, a heavy transverse bar between fore- and midbrain, an embedded blotch anterior to pectoral fin base, a blotch embedded above midgut, a blotch on dorsal surface of terminal section of gut, apposing dorsal and ventral blotches in mid-postanal region, and another more anterior dorsal blotch; by 6.0 mm, a median blotch embedded in isthmus, an embedded melanophore at nape, and a blotch on spatulate swellings of elongate lower pectoral fin ray; by end of stage, embedded blotches at pectoral fin base and isthmus expanded toward each other to outline ventral border of gill cavity and postanal blotches lost in some specimens.
Postflexion: numerous (large) blotches in voluminous finfold; several embedded in postanal hypaxial myosepta; several on pectoral fin base.
Sequence of fin development: pectorals, caudal, anal, dorsal, pelvics. |
