Myomeres usually 10-11+12-13=23; dorsal fin rays usually 11, anal fin rays usually 10 (present in postflexion stage); pigment light or absent ventrally on tail; usually little or no pigment on gular area.
Pigmentation:
Preflexion: Heavy over forebrain, midbrain, and anteriorly over hindbrain; under mid- and hindbrain; heavy on inner surface of gill cover, especially under preopercle; 0-2 on gular area (usually 0); internally at nape; heavy dorsally. Dorsolaterally, and anteriorly on gut, few along ventral margin of gut; 0-10 on ventral margin of tail, usually on last few myomeres and under notochord tip.
Flexion-postflexion: Increasing on head, spreading along lower part of supraoccipital spine; increasing on gut, completely surrounding it by 4.5 mm; decreasing ventrally on tail, usually none by about 4 mm; forming on pelvic fin at about 3.9 mm and on first dorsal fin by about 4.5 mm.
Transformation: Heavily pigmented except on end of caudal peduncle, pectoral fin, anal fin, second dorsal fin, and caudal fin.
Sequence of fin development: principal caudal fin rays, dorsal fin and anal fin and pectoral fin, pelvic fin, procurrent caudal fin rays. |