| none |
| short and/or deep |
tadpole-like |
| none |
| spherical or gut loop |
| visible |
visible |
| no spines |
opercular spines only |
| dorsal + ventral + lateral row |
| tail completely covered with melanophores |
| melanophores on head + trunk |
| dorsal + ventral + lateral row |
| tail completely covered with melanophores |
| melanophores on head + trunk |
| pigmented |
pigmented |
| covered with melanophores |
| fin rays only without melanophores |
| fin rays only without melanophores |
| Diagnostic characters: no head spines except for a single opercular spine by 22 mm; persistent gap between anus and origin of anal fin; large size at notochord flexion (greater than or equal to 20 mm); paired melanophore series dorsally on tail along either side of developing dorsal fin; usually 2 prominent melanophores ventrally along midtail until 15 mm.
Sequence of fin development: pelvic (5.7-16.3 mm); dorsal (5.7-23.2 mm); anal (6.9-21.0 mm); caudal (10.4- > 34.2 mm); pectoral (22.0->34.2 mm).
Body elongate to moderate. Mouth functional and eyes pigmented in reared larvae by 3.5-3.7 mm. Small villiform teeth along premaxilla by 7.2 mm. One opercular spine by 22 mm. Gut moderate, straight in yolk-sac larvae and coiled in preflexion larvae by 3.6 mm. Anus opens laterally to the right in larvae until 5.1 mm, becoming symmetrical about the ventral midline thereafter. Gas bladder over foregut by 3.5 mm, inflated and prominent. Prominent gap between anus and origin of anal fin, persisting after anal fin is formed. |