A Photographic GUIDE to the Late-Stage LARVAE of CORAL REEF FISHES
Under construction with daily additions, corrections, and refinements/January 2006
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Family Pomacentridae
The damselfishes are some of the most common reef fishes and perhaps the most studied in the Caribbean. Fortunately there are only four well-known genera with relatively few species in the region. Two of the genera have several species: the ubiquitous Stegastes spp. with seven species and Chromis spp. with two shallow-water and three deep-water species. There are only two Abudefduf species and Microspathodon chrysurus
Pomacentrid larvae resemble juvenile damselfishes and are easy to distinguish. They can be recognized by their round wide body with a wide caudal peduncle, continuous spinous and soft dorsal fins, the absence of stout spines on the head and relatively small terminal mouth.
Diagnosis: Damselfishes with 13 dorsal spines comprise the genera Abudefduf and the deep-water Chromis enchrysura, C. insolata, and C. scotti. Abudefduf saxatilis has a mode of 13 dorsal soft rays and 12 anal soft rays (D-XIII,13 A-II,11-12 Pect-18-19). A. taurus has a mode of 12 dorsal soft rays and 10 anal soft rays (D-XIII,12 A-II,10 Pect-18-19). The Chromis spp. have modes of 12 and 11 or 12 and 12. (ML)
Abudefduf saxatilis transitional recruit, 10.6 mm SL (San Blas, Panama, SB84-523)
Diagnosis: Damselfishes with 13 dorsal spines comprise the genera Abudefduf and the deep-water Chromis enchrysura, C. insolata, and C. scotti. Abudefduf taurus has a mode of 12 dorsal soft rays and 10 anal soft rays (D-XIII,12 A-II,10 Pect-18-19). A. saxatilis has a mode of 13 dorsal soft rays and 12 anal soft rays (D-XIII,13 A-II,11-12 Pect-18-19). The Chromis spp. have modes of 12 and 11 or 12 and 12 respectively. (ML)
Abudefduf taurus transitional recruit, 11.1 mm SL (San Blas, Panama, SB83-137)
Diagnosis: Damselfishes with 12 dorsal spines and a mode of 15-16 dorsal fin soft rays comprise the genera Stegastes spp. and Microspathodon chrysurus. Fin ray counts broadly overlap among Stegastes spp. with most species having 13-14 soft anal fin rays and 18-20 pectoral fin rays, but S. adustus and M. chrysurus have a mode of 21 pectoral fin rays. The obscure freshwater Stegastes otophorus has fewer dorsal fin soft rays (12-14). It is likely that earlier-stage larvae will require DNA sequencing to distinguish species. Juveniles with a row of few discrete round blue spots on the iris, head and upper body, a large black ocellus on the last three dorsal spines and first three dorsal soft rays (about 40% on fin, 60% on the body), and a prominent black spot on the dorsal caudal peduncle indicate Stegastes planifrons. (ML)
Stegastes planifrons new recruit, 10.9 mm SL (Belize, BZ98-704)
Diagnosis: Damselfishes with 12 dorsal spines and a mode of 15-16 soft rays comprise the genera Stegastes spp. and Microspathodon chrysurus. Fin ray counts broadly overlap among Stegastes spp. with most species having 13-14 soft anal fin rays and 18-20 pectoral fin rays, but S. adustus and M. chrysurus have a mode of 21 pectoral fin rays. It is likely that earlier-stage larvae will require DNA sequencing to distinguish species. Juveniles with (ML)
Microspathodon chrysurus new recruit, 10.9 mm SL
Diagnosis: Damselfishes with 12 dorsal spines and a mode of 15-16 soft rays comprise the genera Stegastes spp. and Microspathodon chrysurus. Fin ray counts broadly overlap among Stegastes spp. with most species having 13-14 soft anal fin rays and 18-20 pectoral fin rays, but S. adustus and M. chrysurus have a mode of 21 pectoral fin rays. It is likely that earlier-stage larvae will require DNA sequencing to distinguish species. Juveniles with a row of few discrete round blue spots on the iris, head and upper body, a large black ocellus on the last three dorsal spines and first three dorsal soft rays (about 40% on fin, 60% on the body), and a prominent black spot on the dorsal caudal peduncle indicate Stegastes planifrons. (ML)
Stegastes planifrons new recruit, 10.9 mm SL
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