Larvae Information Summary for
Ophichthus zophochir
| Main Ref: | Charter, S.R. and H.G. Moser 1996 | |||
Yolk-sac larvae
| min | max | mod | Ref. | |
| Length at birth (mm) | 7.5 | |||
| Preanal L. % TL |
| Place of development | planktonic | |||
| Larval area | Ranges from Punta San Juanico, Baja California Sur south and into the Gulf of California | |||
| Yolk-sac | Ref: | |||
| Yolk | Oil globules | |||
Post larvae
| Striking feature | ||||
| Striking shape lateral | dorsal | |||
| Striking feature | ||||
| Shape of gut | spherical or gut loop | |||
| Gas bladder early | late | |||
| Spinal armature early | late | |||
| Leptocephalus larva; nephros at about myomere 58 (56-62); 2 liver lobes; 8 gut loops; 9 loops in larger leptocephali before transformation; pigmentation midlaterally on 1-4 myosepta. Pigmentation: few on lower jaw; anterior and posterolateral to heart; dorsolaterally on liver lobes and gut loops; on 1-4 hypaxial myosepta; 6 subcutaneous postanal patches ventral to notochord; on most anal fin pterygiophores, patchy at transformation; dorsal and ventral to notochord tip. Sequence of fin development: caudal, anal, dorsal, pectoral. | ||||
Meristic characters
| min | max | mod | Ref. | |
| Total number of myomeres | 146 | 163 | 157 | 35581 |
| L 1st feeding | Ref. | Months of presence of larvae | ||||
| max | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | ||
| min | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | ||
| mod | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||
| Water parameters Metric characters |