Labridae: K III B7

Unknown

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
650-700	1	110-120	clear	narrow	bow	55% of NL	24-26

Egg: Initially this egg was separated from the next (KIIIB8), by the latter developing into a larva with a long gut and serrated finfold edge (KIIIB8), while KIIIB7 has a smooth finfold edge. However it became apparent that within this code (KIIIB7) there are at least 2 species, figured above as Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 has a dotted line of black pigment on the embryo, while in Type 2 it is a continuous dull smudge. Both types have a red sheen to the chorion in reflected light. Being small eggs, they often hatch while the sample is being processed in the evening, especially in summer. Incubation is 22-26 hours, assuming evening spawning. 

Larva: The newly hatched larva looks much the same in both types, but at 3-4 days pigment has coalesced into two big spots, and the larva has an elongate snout, while in Type 2, pigment remains dotted along the ventral edge of the notochord, and the larva is blunt-nosed (C).  Both have a smooth finfold edge. B: 1 day, C: 3-4 days (23°C).

While some of these small eggs are undoubtedly wrasse, the only DNA barcode match currently available in BOLD, is two eggs collected in April 2010 which have matched Calotomus carolinus (Scaridae) and a single egg which matches Halichoeres lapillus. On examination of the photo taken of the former two barcoded larvae, these are distinguishable and need to be separated from KIIIB7, while eggs of the latter species have generally been assigned to KIIIB8.

Linked samples	Offshore	Inshore
Eggs	754	314
Hits	50	65

The lack of a clear spawning season (blue graph), may be due to the presence of at least two species.  The egg was only recorded 4 times in the DHM samples, without a clear indication of which type was present. Presence off Park Rynie over the past 25 years, has been erratic (white graph). The Park Rynie linked samples show more eggs offshore (71%), suggesting spawning around the 40m contour. See Section 7.3 and Table 1 of the Introductory Notes, for more information on the linked samples.