DEVELOPMENT OF LARVAE AND JUVENILES OF THE MUTTON SNAPPER (LUTJANUS-ANALIS), LANE SNAPPER (LUTJANUS-SYNAGRIS) AND YELLOWTAIL SNAPPER (LUTJANUS-CHRYSURUS)

Ontogeny among species in the family Lutjanidae is known for few speci es and is very similar among taxa. Development of a laboratory reared series of mutton snapper, Lutjanus analis (2.2-24.3 mm SL), lane snapp er, Lutjanus synagris (2.0-12.4 mm SL), and yellowtail snapper, Lutjan us chrysurus (2.1-11.5 mm SL) are described and illustrated. We descri be developmental characters that will provide potential diagnostic cha racters for identification of field collected specimens and for use in systematic studies. Larvae are very similar at early stages. There ar e some subtle differences in pigmentation within the lutjanids that ma y enable identification of pre-flexion larvae to the species level. Nu mber of melanophores in the ventral postanal melanophore series and pr esence/absence and position of a large melanophore provide pigmentatio n characters that are useful for identification of yolksac and preflex ion snapper larvae. Preflexion larvae oft. chrysurus lack a large mela nophore in the ventral postanal series. L. analis and L. synagris larv ae have an enlarged melanophore in the ventral postanal series (locate d 0.75 distance from anus to notochord tip with usually 16-17 melanoph ores total in L. analis and 0.66 distance from anus to notochord tip w ith usually 19-21 melanophores total in L. synagris). At flexion, the presence of melanophores ventral to the flexure of the notochord and i nternal melanophore on antero-ventral surface of gut (peritoneum) dors al to pelvic bone can be used to distinguish L. analis, L. synagris an d L. chrysurus. Due to the extreme similarity among small larvae, spec ific identification pf other co-occurring species in the western Atlan tic is dependent on description of reared series of these larvae. The resemblance of the larval forms provides further evidence for the syno nymization of the genera Lutjanus and Ocyurus.