Early forming, enlarged, pigmented pelvic fin; early forming, elongate, pigmented first dorsal fin and first anal fin; becoming very deep-bodied in postflexion stage.
Pigmentation:
Preflexion: Anteriorly on midbrain; over midbrain, usually in V-shaped pattern; at tips of jaws; on ethmoid cartilage; under hindbrain; on angular; present or absent on gular area; series on isthmus; dorsally and dorsolaterally at myomeres 4-5; few dorsally at myomeres 16-17 by 3.9 mm; 1 to few on lateral midline at myomeres 17-19; over notochord at myomeres 16-19 and at myomeres 1-3 by 3.9 mm; dorsally on gas bladder and gut; anteriorly on gut; 1 between pelvic fin bases by 2.9 mm; on pelvic fin.
Flexion: Many over entire brain area; increasing on upper jaw; series on articular; few on lower half of preopercle; at bases of dorsal spine III, second dorsal fin ray 4, dorsal fin 16-insertion, gradually filling in between patches beginning anteriorly; few dorsolaterally on trunk; few laterally at myomeres 17-19; spreading along spinal cord and notochord, caudad from trunk and cephalad from midtail; several ventrally on gut; on second dorsal fin and patch between dorsal fin ray 2-3; on anal fin ray 1; proximally on caudal fin; increasing on pelvic fin.
Postflexion: Covering most of upper half of head and trunk; series on gular area; few on branchiostegals; saddles form below dorsal spines II-VII, dorsal fin rays 2-5 and 16-17 and patch over hypural area by about 10 mm; covering most of gut, lighter ventrally; on pectoral fin base and upper rays by about 10 mm; increasing on dorsal fin ray 1, anal fin ray 1, pelvic fin and proximally on caudal fin.
Transformation: 6 or 7 saddles or bars on trunk and tail.
Sequence of fin development: pelvic fin, second dorsal fin and first dorsal fin and anal fin, principal caudal fin rays, pectoral fin, procurrent caudal fin rays. |