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Species Diversity, 2010, 15, 125-130

A Larva of the , Erilopis zonJlfer (: paeniformes: ), from off NortheasternScor-Japan

Makoto Okamotoi, Yoshiro Watanabe2 and Takashi Asahida3

i Seikai IVtztionat Fisheries Research institutq 1551-8 Taira-tnachi, IVctgasaki, a51-2213 Jtipan E-mail: okamako@cofrrc,go,,ip EAtmosphere and Ocean Research institute, 71he Univensity of 7bhyo, 5Ll-5 Kashiwanoha, Kirxshiwa, (]Iziba, 2778564 Japan 3Kitasato Vhiversity, School ofMtzrine Biosciences; 16a4 Okirai, Sanriku-cho, onnato, Iwatq

a22-OIOI .Jtlpan

(Received 9 May 2010; Accepted 21 July 2010)

A postflexion larva (15.6mm standard length) of a skilfish, Erilqpis zonijlir (Lockington, 1880), is described from off Iwate, nertheastern Japan. This is the first report of the larval stage of this species, The larva of E, zonder is

similar to that of the only confamilial species, the Anoplopomafim- bria (Pallas, 1814), in having a !ateralIy compressed body, two dorsal fins, large pectoral fins, no head spination, and heavy pigmentation of the body and the distal part of the pectoral fin. The longer pectoral fin and deeper bedy of E. zonijler, coupled with distinctive meristic ceunts, separate the

larvae of these two species of the family Anoplopomatidae.

Key Words: Erilapts zonijlar, skihish, Anoplopematidae, larva, North Pacific.

Introduction

The North Pacific family Anoplopomatidae contains two species (Quast 1965; Mecklenburg 2003; Nelson 2oo6), AnQptQpoma fimbria (Pallas, 1814) and Erilepis zonijl?r (Lockington, 1880). Of these, the sablefish A. finzbria grows to about 110cm in total length (TL) and is economically important (e.g., Phillips 1958; Sasaki 1984, 1985); its early life stages have been described in detail (Kobayashi 1957; Ahlstrom and Stevens 1976; Kendal1 and Matarese 1987; Moser 1996). Erilepis zonijbr is a･rare species, reaching about 180cm TL and a body weight of ca. 90kg (Mecklenburg 2003). Although there are several reports of occurrences and general morphology based on adults (Tokranov and D'yakov 1996; Kim 2ooO), its larvae are unknown (Moser 1996). Recently, we isolated a postflexion larva of E. zoniji?r from an ichthy- oplankton sample taken in the 1980s and stored in the collections of the National

Fisheries Research Institute, Herein, we describe and illustrate this first larval

specimen of E. zonijbr.

Materials and Methods

The larva of standard length was collected at 40oOO'N, 149oOO'E off

Iwate Prefecture,15.6mmnortheastern Japan on 17 May 1989 by the Tohoku National Fish-

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`Chigh-speed eries Research Institute using a net" (150-cm diameter ring net; 7.0 mm mesh) towed at approximately 4 knots near the surface for ten minutes (03:18-03:28). The specimen was fixed in 10% buffered formalin and later trans- ferred to 70% ethanol and deposited in the collections of the Seikai National Fish- eries Research Institute (SNFR) as SNFR 14701. Counts and measurements fo11ow Hubbs and Lagler (1958), Radiographic tech- niques fo11ow Tucker and Laroche (1984). The illustration was drawn using a binocular dissecting microscope with a camera lucida, Standard and head lengths

are abbreviated as SL and HL respectively. Comparative material. Erilepis zonder: 1 adult specimen, SNFR 10768, 65 cm SL, central Nerth Pacific, 33044'N, 171055'E, depth 587m, 12 July 2007, bottom trawl.

Erilepis zonijlar (Lockington, 1880) (Figs 1, 2)

Identification. The larva is identMed as a member of the family Anoplopo- matidae based on the round head without spination, elongated and laterally com- pressed body, large pectoral fins, separated dorsal fins, presence of more than 40 total vertebrae, and heavily pigmented body (Washington et al. 1984b; Matarese et al. 1989; Moser 1996), The family consists of only two species (Mecklenburg 2003): AnQplQpoma firnbria and Erilepts zonijler. Adults of both species occur in Japanese waters (Nakabo 2002), and they can be distinguished by counts ef the first dorsal fin spines, anal fin soft rays, and total vertebrae (Mecklenburg 2003). In the present larva the first dorsal fin is an anlage with undeveloped spines; however, anal fin ray and tetal vertebrae counts are III, 12 and 45, respectively, agreeing with pub- lished counts of adult E, zonijl3r (Washington et al, 1984a; Mecklenburg 2003). TherefOre, the larva is identified as E. zonder. Description. Meristics. Second dorsal fin rays 16; anal fin rays III, 12; pectoral fin rays 17; gil1 rakers 3+14; branchiostegal rays 7; tota1 vertebrae 45. MOr:phometrics (% ofSL), Head length 31,5; body depth at pectoral fin base 21.3; body depth at anus 22.1; pre-dorsal-fin length 58,2; pre-anal-fin length 64.8; pre-anal length 61.5; pecteral fin length 36.1; pelvic fin length 8.2; second dersal fin base 27.9; anal fin base 24.6; caudal peduncle length 16.4; caudal peduncle depth 12.3, ILforphometrics (% of HZL). Eye diameter 28.9; interorbital width 30.6; snout length 23.7; upperjaw length 42.1. MOr:photogy. Body elengated and laterally compressed; dorsal and abdominal outlines not arched; greatest depth at anus, shallower than head length at anus. Caudal peduncle deep. Anus near midpoint of body, just below second dorsal fin origin. Head laterally compressed, without spines or serrations. Mouth moderate in size, not projecting; maxilla reaching anterior margin ef pupil. A few minute villifbrm teeth on imier side of anterior part of both jaws. Snout rounded and short, with two nostrils before dorsal margin of orbit; nostrils simple, elliptical, and of almost same size. Eye round, dorsally situated on head, with dorsal margin close to dorsal profile; eye diameter greater than snout length. Interorbital space fiat, slightly wider than eye diameter. Gill opening wide, with thin opercular region, Gil1 rakers on first gM arch slender. First dorsal fin anlage shallow and thin, originating directly above outer margin of epercle, lacking fin rays, Second

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Larva of Erilopis zonijier 127

dorsal fin with unsegmented rays, its origin entirely separated from posterier edge of first dorsal fin anlage; last ray not connected to caudal fin by membrane. Anal fin with unsegmented rays, originating a short distance behind anus and directly below 3rd ray of second dorsal fin, with base shorter than that of second dorsal fin. Pectoral fin long and broad, with segmented rays, inserted vertically just belew origin of first dorsal fin anlage; posterior end reaching to about midpoint of second dorsal fin. Pelvic fin short and robust, with imcomplete fin ray complement, Cau- dal fin large and slightly forked, free from second dorsal and anal fins; 8+7 seg- mented rays articulating with hypural plate with large number of upper and lower procurrent rays, Scales undeveloped, Pigment in alcohol. Body heavily pigmented except for ventral side and caudal fin base, Also, entire surface of brain case, suborbita1 region, and gill cavity lightly pigmented, Small pigment spots scattered on snout, around lower jaw, and on isth- mus, opercular region, ventral trunk and tail, and pectoral fin base. Distal part of pectoral fin heavily pigmented, but other fins unpigmented,

Discussion

The postflexion larva of Erilepis zonijLir is closely similar to that of AnQplqpoma finzbria in having a laterally compressed body, two dorsal fins, large pectoral fins, no head spination, and heavy pigmentation on the body and the dis- tal parts of the pectoral fins (Kendall and Matarese 1987; Matarese et al. 1989; Meser 1996). However, the present larva as well as adults of E. zonder have 45-46 total ver- tebrae (vs 61-66 in A. finzbria) and II or III, 10-14 anal fin rays (vs Ill, 15-23 in A. fimbria) (cE Kendall and Matarese 1987; Matarese et al. 1989; Meser 1996), The pres- ent Iarva also differs from postflexion larval A. fimbria in having the posterior end of the pectoral fin exceeding the origin of the anal fin (vs not reaching the erigin in A. .f7mbria) and in being deeper-bodied (21% SL vs 15-18% SL in A .finzbria). The first dorsal fin of the present specimen is an anlage without fin rays (Fig. 1). According to Kobayashi (1957), in larval A. .fimbria the first dorsal fin spines ap- pear at ca. 20mm SL, considerably later than in larvae of other scorpaenifbrm (Okiyama 1988; Matarese et al, 1989). The myomeres of the present larva were difficult to count precisely in the ante- rior trunk and caudal peduncle regions; hewever, total vertebrae could be counted from radiographs (Fig. 2).

Fig. 1, Larva of Erilapis zonij2ir, SNFR 14701, 15,6mm SL, off Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan,

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128 Makoto Okamoto et al.

Fig. 2. Radiograph of larva of Erilqpts zonder, SNFR 14701, 15.6mm SL, off Iwate Prefecture,

northeastern Japan,

The Iarva of E. zonijlir was collected at the surface off Iwate Prefecture, north- eastern Japan, Previous records ofjuveniles of this species have also come mainly from surface waters (Andriashev 1955; Phillips 1966), occasionally associated with drifting seaweed (Safran and Omori 1990). In contrast, large specimens (>80cm SL) of E. zonder have been collected by longline, trawling, and gill net from near the bottom at depths of 220-1030m in offshore waters

tively, Also, they inferred that adults of E. zonijl?r migrate frem January to April to

around Izu Ohshtma, an island off the PacMc coast of central Japan, to spawn, and

the eggs and larvae are transported by the Kuroshio Current to northeasterm

Japan. Their hypothesis is supported by the sampling site and the date of collec- tion (May) of the present larva, This would give E. zonijlir a life cycle similar to that of the longfin codling Laemonema longipes Schmidt, 1938 (family Moridae) (cft Savin 1993; Okamoto et al. 2oo8), The eggs and larvae of neither species have been collected from the eastern North Pacific (Matarese et al. 1989, 2003; Moser 1996), al- though adults of both species occur there (Love et al, 2oo5),

Acknowledgements

We are gratefu1 to M. S. Love (Marine Science Institute, University of Califbr- nia, Santa Barbara) for his critical reading of the manuscript, H. Ida (PREC Insti- tute Inc,, Tokyo), K. Takeda (Marine Industries Premotion Division, Chiba Prefec- ture), and H. Sugisaki (National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Fisheries Research Agency) for their assistance and advice during the inception and comple- tion of this study, M. P, Seki (NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, South- west Fisheries Science Center) for providing literature, and K, Hoshino (SNFR) for providing the opportunity to examine comparative material and for registering

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the present larval specimen. Lastly, we thank the captains, and crew of the R/V Kumamoto-maru for their assistance with sampling,oMcers,

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