MORPHOLOGY, AND CHANGES OF DISTRIBUTION A ND FOOD-HABITS WITH GROWTH,OF LATE LARVAE AND JUVENILES OF BLACK-SPOT TUSKFISH, CHOERODON-SCHOENLEINII (LABRIDAE), SETTLED ON SEAGRASS BEDS OF OKINAWA ISLAND, THE RYUKYUS

Morphology and ecology in early life stages of black-spot tuskfish wer e studied in northern part of Okinawa Island from 1984 to 1991. The po stflexion larva of 7.7 mm TL was laterally compressed with moderately large mouth, being scarce pigmented. In the 14.9 mm TL juvenile, the b ody became deeper with rounded head and pigments forming four transver se bands on the body. Underwater observations with SCUBA and sampling with the seine revealed that juveniles settled on seagrass beds from M ay to June and stayed there during summer. Thereafter they gradually m oved out of seagrass beds with growth. Diet composition changed with g rowth from small crustaceans to various organisms such as large crusta ceans, gastropods, bivalves and so on and were diversified.