Document Type
Article
Department/Program
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Publication Date
1997
Journal
Bulletin of Marine Science
Volume
60
Issue
1
First Page
139
Last Page
151
Abstract
Larvae of the families Dactyloscopidae (Gillellus jacksoni, G. uranidea) and Chaenopsidae (Stathmonotus stahli tekla, S. hemphilli) are described from specimens collected in Ambergris Gay, Belize. Larvae are characterized by precocious development of fins and sensory canals, and little pigmentation overall, with the majority of pigmentation occurring ventrally. Pigment distributions in larvae are summarized for the six blennioid families. There are no unifying pigment characters among blennioid larvae. Larvae possess the six shared specialized characters or character complexes (as described in adults) currently used to hypothesize the monophyly of the Blennioidei, and thus, provide no new phylogenetic information.
Recommended Citation
Cavalluzzi, MR, Larvae of Gillellus jacksoni, G-uranidea (Dactyloscopidae), Stathmonotus stahli tekla, and S-hemphilli (Chaenopsidae), with comments on the use of early life history characters for elucidating relationships within the Blennioidei (1997). Bulletin of Marine Science, 60(1), 139-151.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsarticles/1539