| none |
| eel-like |
compressed |
| none |
| spherical or gut loop |
| visible |
visible |
| |
|
| ventral row |
| tail partly covered with melanophores |
| melanophores on head + trunk |
| dorsal + ventral + lateral 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: body elongate in postflexion larvae; snout length typically less than eye diameter; series of melanophores along ventral midline of trunk and tail, single from isthmus to midbody, paired from midbody to caudal peduncle; no melanophores along dorsal midline of trunk and tail; lateral midline pigment on posterior half of tail from 8 mm.
Sequence of fin development: caudal (7.8-9.4 mm); anal (7.8-9.9 mm); dorsal (7.8-13.4 mm); pelvic (8.1-11.8 mm); pectoral (10.3-13.4 mm).
Angle of lower jaw ventrally pronounced in preflexion larvae. Small teeth along both jaws in preflexion larvae greater than 4.5 mm. Gut moderate, initially straight and with a single coil at midgut from late preflexion stage. Gas bladder over midgut between myomeres 3-7, inflated only in some larvae. Dorsal and anal fin rays develop from posterior to anterior.
Larvae have been caught in shelf and slope waters of New South Wales from July to September, and in coastal waters off Sydney from April to August (Ref. 33622). |
