Trachichthyidae: F II A3A
Gephyroberyx darwinii (Johnson, 1866)
Darwin's slimehead
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 |
1200 |
1 |
240 |
segmented |
narrow |
stern |
65% of NL |
ca26 |
Egg: On 23 July 2012 a single egg was found in the offshore sample, which had a slightly orange hue, and had stellate black chromatophores on the larva, particularly in the tail, and on the edge of the finfold. No photo was taken, because the egg was assumed to belong to FIIA3. The egg chromatophore pattern can be inferred from the pattern in the newly hatched larva (B).
Larva: The 4 and 5-day old larvae can be confused with Monodactylus (FIIA9), and bear some resemblance to Macroramphosus (LIIIE5), but the combinations of egg and early larval features willquickly separate the three species.
The hatched larva was sucessfully barcoded, and found a match with 4 Gephyroberyx darwinii adults collected locally (BOLD).