Pigmentation region definitions
- Mouth: pigment anterior to a vertical line drawn from anteriormost edge of eye. Usually includes posteriormost end of maxilla and dentary, (upper and lower jaw, lateral or ventral surface), snout, and anterior area of the forebrain.
- Crown: pigment on dorsal surface of head, from anterior margin of eye to posterior edge of head (as defined by a line that continues from hindbrain to opercular margin) and laterally to a horizontal line drawn at mid-orbit (although no eye pigment is included in this or any other category).
- Nape: pigment in dorsal region of body beginning at posterior edge of crown and extending to a line drawn vertically from anterior edge of pectoral fin base or peduncle. Extends laterally to horizontal line drawn at mid-orbit,and includes spots in cleithral area dorsal to pectoral fin insertion.
- Cheek: pigment on opercle that lies ventral to a horizontal through mid-orbit, and posterior to a vertical drawn at the end of maxilla. Including spots along ventral or posterior edge of opercle, on branchiostegals, and on mandibular articulation, even if these are only visible ventrally.
- Isthmus: pigment in ventral region of head connecting gular and cleithral regions, includes pigment on or anterior to cleithrum, but ventral to edge of pectoral fin base.
- Dorsal gut: pigment outlining dorsal surface of gut cavity from just behind pectoral fin to anus, and may round only slightly onto lateral edges of gut. Pigment is on gut surface, on dorsal wall of gut cavity, on gas bladder, or on skin covering junction between hypaxial musculature and gut cavity. Includes "hind-gut", which is posteriorly instead of dorsally placed when the gut curves ventrally near the anus.
- Lateral gut: includes any pigment between rounding edges of dorsal and ventral gut regions and is posterior to cleithrum. May include pigment ventral to pectoral fin base or pigment lining the anterior edge of gut cavity.
- Ventral gut: includes pigment on ventral surface of gut cavity, rounding only slightly onto lateral edges of gut. Includes pigment on cleithrum that extends posteriorly (although no pigment that is solely on cleithrum), pigment that encircles anus, and pigment on or around pelvic fins in most cases, and pigment lining anterior edge of the gut cavity that extends onto ventral surface.
- Dorsal fin: includes pigment that is found on or that extends onto rays or membranes of dorsal finfold or dorsal fins, including adipose fin.
- Anal fin: includes pigment that is found on or that extends onto the rays or membranes of anal finfold or anal fins, including PVMs that extend onto anal finfold.
- Caudal fin: pigment that is found on or that extends onto rays or membranes of caudal finfold or fin. Does not include pigment that outlines notochord tip or urostyle, thickened areas of preflexion and flexion larva that will later develop into elements of the caudal fin (see "Caudal" for these areas).
- Pectoral fin: includes pigment on both blade and base of pectoral fin, as well as in area of cleithrum directly anterior to pectoral fin base, sometimes partially covered by the opercle.
- Dorsal: Pigment dorsal to, but not including, dorsolateral line formed by the fulcra of V's in epaxial musculature; begins behind nape and extends to the end of the last vertebra, includes dorsal midline melanophores. In preflexion or flexion larva in which these fulcra have not yet formed, the dorsal edge of the notochord will replace this line.
- Ventral: Pigment ventral to, but not including, ventrolateral line formed by the fulcrum of V's in hypaxial musculature; begins along the dorsal gut and extends to the end of vertebra, includes any postanal ventral melanophores. In preflexion or flexion larva in which these fulcra have not yet formed, the ventral edge of the notochord will replace this line.
- Mediolateral: pigment on and medial to mediolateral lines of pigment that define ventral boundary of "Dorsal" and the dorsal boundary of "Ventral." Begins at nape or pectoral fin base, extends partially along dorsal gut, and continues along the "Ventral" and "Dorsal" boundaries until the last vertebra. Does not include notochord pigment.
- Caudal: pigment on or outlining urostyle or notochord tip, hypural elements, or in the peduncle area. May include last few postanal ventral melanophores, and pigment above thickened areas where hypural elements are developing in flexion larvae. If these elements have not yet begun developing in preflexion larvae but pigment is still found in this region, it is placed in the "caudal finfold" category.
