none |
short and/or deep |
compressed |
none |
elongated |
absent |
absent |
|
|
dorsal + ventral row |
one dorso-ventral cluster or band |
melanophores on trunk |
dorsal + ventral row |
one dorso-ventral cluster or band |
melanophores on head + trunk |
pigmented |
pigmented |
with row of melanophores |
fin rays only without melanophores |
fin rays only without melanophores |
Diagnostic characters: prominent striations on hindgut in larvae >6.0 mm; gas bladder not apparent; posteriorly placed dorsal, anal and pelvic fins; dorsal and anal fins do not overlap; prominent pigment patch over dorsal and ventral midlines of caudal peduncle; small melanophores along lateral midline of trunk and tail in postflexion larvae; 11-17 roughly alternating, evenly spaced internal melanophores dorsally along entire gut.
Sequence of fin development: dorsal (6.6-22.7 mm); anal (6.6-22.7 mm); caudal (10.1-13.2 mm); pelvic (15.0-28.0 mm); pectoral (20.5-40.2 mm).
Larvae are present in coastal waters off southwestern Australia in December, coastal waters of eastern Tasmania from April to June, coastal waters off northern and central New South Wales from January to June, and in coastal waters off Sydney (NSW) from October to July (Ref. 33822, 33823). |