LARVAL DEVELOPMENT AND RELATIONSHIPS OF THE PERCIFORM FAMILY DICHISTIIDAE (=CORACINIDAE), THE GALJOEN FISHES

Dichistiid fishes, a group endemic to southern African oceans, were hi storically linked to the microcanthids, scorpidids, girellids and kyph osids (MSG+K families), but a relationship to ephippidids and drepanei ds was postulated recently. Development is described based on laborato ry-reared larvae of Dichistius (=Coracinus) capensis and field-capture d late larvae of this species and D. multifasciatus. Larvae are charac terized by rounded, compact gut, gap between anus and anal fin, modera te head spination, and pigment pattern consisting of well-developed pi gment series on head, trunk and tail. These elements constitute the '' distinctive larval form'' of the MSG+K families identified by G. D. Jo hnson. Furthermore, Dichistius multifasciatus has Freihofer's pattern 10 of the ramus lateralis accessorius nerve (RLA). This is limited to a small group of percoid families including the MSG+K families, but ex cluding Ephippididae and Drepaneidae. Although we could not confirm th e monophyly of the Dichistiidae, we hypothesize the family is related to the MSG+K and other RLA pattern 10 fish families. A grouping of MSG +K families, Dichistiidae and Arripididae is congruent with larval cha racters. However, none of the elements of the ''distinctive larval for m'' are limited to taxa with RLA pattern 10, and because no sister gro up to these taxa has been hypothesized, this congruence cannot be full y evaluated. Neither larval morphology and pigment, nor any other char acter examined offers support for a relationship between dichistiids a nd ephippidids or drepaneids.