Hemirhampidae CH I A1

Oxyporhamphus micropterus micropterus (Valenciennes, 1847)

Shortwing flyingfish

Egg diameter in µm

Number of oil globules

Diameter of oil globule in µm

Yolk texture

Perivitelline space

Position of oil globule at hatch

Gut length   at eye- pigment stage

Myomeres

1870-2110

0

N/A

clear

 narrow

N/A

70% of NL

47-50*

* Literature

Egg: This egg is instantly recognizable by the combination of size and the presence of numerous simple pointed spines (A & B). The yolk appears to be clear. Black pigment spots are visible on the embryo (B). I have not been able to gauge incubation time as I have not taken a newly spawned egg. It certainly exceeds 4 days (24°C).

Larva: Upon hatching, the eyes and mouth are not fully developed (C & D), and the larva carries a yolk sac (C & D).   Myomeres were not counted due to the dense pigment of newly hatched larvae. C & D: NH,  E: 2 days, F: 6days (24°C).

One adult and 3 larvae, hatched from this egg, have been successfully barcoded (BOLD), confirming the identification given by Shao et. al. ( 2001).

This egg was not common off Park Rynie, with an average of about 3 per year over the study period. It is a spring and summer spawner (blue graph). The species has shown no unusual pattern of occurrence during the study (white graph). Eggs were more common (75%), in offshore samples from the Park Rynie linked samples, indicating most spawning around the 40-50m depth contours, but numbers are low. See Section 7.3 and Table 1 of the Introductory Notes, for more information on the linked samples.

linked samples

Offshore

Inshore

 Eggs

43

14

Hits

32

11

 

 

 On two occasions an egg of 2200µm was seen, with far fewer spikes.Unfortunately neither was successfully barcoded. Rearing notes suggest it is an exocoetid.