EGG INFORMATION
Egg Diameter (min-max in mm): Number of Oil Globules (min-max): Oil Globule Diameter (min-max in mm): Yolk: Chorion: Egg/Embryo Pigment: Pigment Diagnostics: Diagnostic Characters:
LARVAE INFORMATION
Hatch Size (min-max in mm SL): <3.7
4 Preanal Length (%SL): <50 increasing with development to ~50% SL
Flexion Length (in mm SL): ~7 - 11
5 Length at Transformation (in mm SL): <8.1; reduction in length and change in body shape
Fin Development Sequence: Caudal and pectorals, dorsal and anal, pelvics
Larval Pigment Regions: In each developmental larval stage, pigment is present in the regions listed below
(click for
pigment regions)
Yolk-sac:
Preflexion: mediolateral, caudal,
Flexion: caudal,
Postflexion: mediolateral, caudal,
Juvenile: mouth, crown, nape, cheek, isthmus, dorsal gut, lateral gut, ventral gut, pectoral fin, dorsal, ventral, mediolateral, caudal,
Pigment Diagnostics: Internal pigment at last 1-10 myomeres
Diagnostic Characters: See sternoptychid photophore figure 9. Location of supra-abdominal (SAB), preanal (PAN), anal (AN), and subcaudal (SC) photophores in a continuous straight line (AN and SC groups are separated by gap); eyes telescopic; spines: a spine anterior to spinous dorsal plate at 8 mm SL, long posteriormost spine on spinous dorsal plate at 11 mm SL, enlarged postabdominal spines at >11 mm SL. Through early postflexion stage, preanal length usually will distinguish Argyropelecus affinis and A. sladeni (shorter preanal length) from A. hemigymnus and A. lychnus (longer preanal length), and presence/absence of internal caudal peduncle pigment will distinguish A. affinis and A. lychnus (pigment present) from A. hemigymnus and A. sladeni (pigment absent)
