Unknown: L III C2

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
940-985	1	170-220	clear	narrow	stern	60% of NL	ca 30

Egg: This egg is either seen as apparently without pigment, or with fine black pigment on the embryo. The yolk is rough, and one record noted the embryo has exaggerated segmentation (myotomes). Judging from the early larva, if seen just prior to hatching, the embryo is likely to be darkly lined with black pigment. Incubation is about 30 hours.

Larva: The 2-day larva has a dark band ventrally from gut to anus, some dark pigment dorsally on the notochord, and a patch on the dorsal finfold edge (B). Note also the white pigment, dorsally on the notochord, above the gut and oil globule. By the next day the white and finfold pigments have disappeared (C, but ignoring the mistiness in the finfolds, caused by the larva succumbing to the anaesthetic). B: 2 days, C: 3 days (22°C).

This egg has a lot of similarities to KIIIB2, and might prove to be the same species, with a variably placed oil globule. DNA barcoding is the most likely way this will be resolved. None of these eggs has yet been collected and preserved, for barcoding, as the egg has not been seen since 2002.

Spawning in January and July/August (blue graph) is consistent with all-year spawning seen in KIIIB2. Only 10 eggs have been collected in linked samples, all in offshore samples.