Stromateidae: F II A5
Centrolophus niger (Gmelin, 1789).
Black ruff
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 |
1200-1345 |
1 |
340-410 |
segmented |
narrow |
stern |
52% of NL |
25 |
Egg: When seen within 24 hours of development, the light amber oil globule is apparent, and the embryo, oil globule and yolk are dotted with black pigment, with just a few pale yellow spots on the larva. At 48 hours, the larva has 7-8 yellow and black blotches that make the egg unmistakable in its size range. Incubation is about 70 hours (21°C).
Larva: The newly hatched larva has a yellow pigment pattern that is instantly recognisable (B & C), with almost no black pigment visible, but on a white background, black pigment shows the same pattern as yellow pigment. By day 6 some yellow/brown pigment has moved into the finfolds (E), which persists through days 11 to 18 (F & G). At 11 days the larva is undergoing flexion (F), and by 18 days, flexion is complete (G). B: 1 day, C: 2 days, D: 3 days, E: 6 days, F: 11 days, G: 18 days (21°C).
This species was not reared past 18 days. The identification is based on DNA of 9 larvae, matching several adult C. niger sequence in BOLD, from New Zealand and Australia. No locally collected adults have been sequenced.
Linked samples |
Offshore |
Inshore |
Eggs |
1097 |
130 |
Hits |
127 |
62 |
This species is a winter spawner, and the appearance of these striking eggs in early winter samples is an event, like a birder seeing the first winter migrant. Three good years interrupted a steady presence of these eggs in samples(white graph). The Park Rynie linked samples had 89% offshore, which is consistent with their being oceanic drift fishes (Haedrich 1986). See Section 7.3 and Table 1 of the Introductory Notes, for more information on the linked samples.