 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstractsPOSTLARVAE AND JUVENILES OF THE TARAKIHI (TELEOSTEI: CHEILODACTYLIDAE) IN NEW ZEALANDC. M. VOORENFisheries Research Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, P.O. Box 19062, Wellington, New ZealandAbstract The postlarval metamorphosis of the tarakihi Cheilodactylus macropterus (Bloch and Schneider) takes place in New Zealand waters in spring or early summer (October-December), when the fish are 70-90 mm long and 9-12 months old. For the scales below the lateral line, the growth pattern changes during the post-larval metamorphosis, and the boundary between the central shield and remainder in these scales is formed during this event. Three types of hyaline rings occur in otoliths of postlarvae and/or juveniles: ring type A, with a diameter of 0.1-0.3 mm, possibly formed during the first winter or the larval metamorphosis; ring type B, with a diameter of 0.8-1.2 mm, formed during the postlarval metamorphosis; and ring type C, with a diameter of 1.5-1.6 mm, formed during the second winter. The early life histories of related species and the general absence of records of postlarval tarakihi from trawl catches suggest that they may be pelagic and may occur in offshore waters, and that small tarakihi assume demersal habits during or after the postlarval metamorphosis. However, no tarakihi postlarvae were caught during the midwater trawling off the east coast of the North and South Islands, in Cook Strait and in Tasman Bay, and their distribution remains largely unknown; some large postlarvae have, however, been taken by dip net and lights at night at the surface close to the Otago coast.
N.Z. Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 6 (4): 602-18
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (2183K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process) This year's abstracts | Journal home page | All abstracts | Publishing home page |