LARVAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE LUTJANID SUBFAMILY ETELINAE (PISCES) - THE GENERA APHAREUS, APRION, ETELIS AND PRISTIPOMOIDES

Larval development in the lutjanid subfamily Etelinae is described and illustrated from field specimens captured with plankton nets and midw ater trawls in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Series were as sembled using fin-spine morphology, scale counts, gill-raker counts, a nd pigment patterns. Identifications were confirmed from adult charact ers developed in the largest specimens and from the distributions of t he adults. Larvae of the Etelinae share with larvae of other lutjanids the presence of a spine on the dorsal postcleithrum, early forming, v ery elongate spines of dorsal and pelvic fins, and even longer pelvic- fin soft rays. They are further characterized by fin-ray counts (D X,1 0; A III,8), absence of external ornamentation on fin spines (except A prion where weak, trailing-edge serrations are present), early forming pigment on the midbrain posteriorly, and early formation of both thir d analfin spine and scales. Aprion virescens is characterized by serra te fin spines, an especially long second spine in the dorsal fin, pigm ent series on the longest dorsal-fin spines, pigment on the urostyle a nd absence of dorsal pigment on trunk and tail. A. virescens is pelagi c until at least is mm. Etelis spp. are characterized by a long, fragi le second spine in the dorsal fin, fin spines lacking internal structu re, pigment series on the pelvic-fin spine and longest dorsal-fin spin es, absence of dorsal pigment on trunk and tail, ventral limited pigme nt on tail that disappears early, pigment on the forebrain that forms early, and absence of urostyle pigment. We lacked specimens between 8. 6 and 13.7 mm. Three Indo-Pacific types of Etelis larvae unidentified to species and distinguished by minor pigment and preopercular spine d ifferences are recognized in specimens <8.6 mm. Specimens >13.7 mm are identified as E. carbunculus, E. coruscans (Indo-Pacific) and E. ocul atus (Atlantic), primarily on the basis of counts of scales and gill r akers and of geographical distributions. Etelis spp. are pelagic to at least 51 mm. Aphareus and Pristipomoides larvae are virtually indisti nguish able and are characterized by a moderate-sized second spine in the dorsal fin (often shorter than pelvic-fin spine), fin spines with distinctive internal structure, a pigmentcluster at the base of both a nal fin and dorsal fin posteriorly, urostyle pigment at some period du ring development and lack of pigment series on the dorsal-fin spines. The Indo-Pacific A. rutilans, P. auricilla, P. filamentosus, P. multid ens and/or typus, P. sieboldii. and two unidentified members of Aphare us or Pristipomoides (with incomplete series) and the Atlantic P. aqui lonaris andwhat is possibly P. freemani are differentiated by lengths of dorsal-fin spines, minor differences in pigmentation, numbers of la teral-line scales and gill rakers, and geographical distribution. Apha reus rutilans also has a shorter ascending process of the premaxilla t han do the Pristipomoides spp. Aphareus andPristipomoides spp. are pel agic to at least 54 mm. Two types of larvae from the western Pacific w ith incomplete series (maximum size, 5.7 mm) of a total of five specim ens cannot be identified to genus (they are not Randallichthys). They are characterized by deep bodies, relatively short dorsal fin spines, fin spines that lack ornamentation or internal structure, very light p igment and small size at flexion. The putative species are questionabl y separated by minor pigment differences, size at flexion, body depth, and fin-spine length. Evidence from larvae supports the distinctivene ss of Etelis and Aprion and indicates that Aphareus and Pristipomoides are very closely related. The unidentified larvae from the western Pa cific are important, for if they prove to be P. argyrogrammicus and/or P. zonatus, they will indicate that these two species are probably no t closely related to the other species of Pristipomoides.