EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF DIAPHUS SPP (PISCES, MYCTOPHIDAE) OF THE AGULHASCURRENT

The genus Diaphus is taxonomically one of the most difficult in the fa mily Myctophidae. In the South-West Indian Ocean, at least 18 species of the genus are found but larval development is known for only two. L arvae and juveniles collected in or near the Agulhas Current provide s ufficient data to describe larvae or transforming stages of three spec ies of the genus. Postflexion and transforming specimens of D. diadema tus, larvae and transforming stages of another species, either D. brac hycephalus or D. richardsoni, and the complete larval development and transforming stages of D. mollis are described. The pigmentation patte rn and photophore development of the larvae and juveniles of these thr ee species, and the postanal pigmentation and presence or absence of s uborbital photophores for juveniles of nine additional species, allowe d them to be placed in two divergent groups of Diaphus, as suggested b y previous authors.