MOSER ET AL.: EARLY STAGES OF OCEAN WHITEFISH CalCOFI Rep., Vol. XXVII, 1986 DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF LARVAE AND PELAGIC JUVENILES OF OCEAN WHITEFISH, CAULOLATILUS PRINCEPS, IN THE CALCOFI SURVEY REGION H. GEOFFREY MOSER, BARBARA Y. SUMIDA, DAVID A. AMBROSE, ELAINE M. SANDKNOP, AND ELIZABETH G. STEVENS National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Center P.O. Box 271 La Jolla. California 92038 ABSTRACT passenger fishing boat catch from 1972 to 1983 ranged Ocean whitefish larvae occurred in 88 tows taken on from 11,000 to 61,000 fish per year, with an average CalCOFI plankton surveys from 1954 to 1981. The catch of 32,000 fish for the 12-year period'. Ocean robust larvae develop a distinctive array of spines and whitefish ranked tenth in a'survey of landings of the spiny ridges in the head region. The body becomes southern California private sport fishery (Wine 1978). covered with minute spines, which develop on each Commercial landings declined steadily from a catch of scale. Larvae also have a characteristic pattern of 100,000 pounds in 1946 to less than 2,000 pounds in melanistic pigmentation, which makes it possible to 1956 and have not increased appreciably since (Fitch identify early stages that have not yet developed head and Lavenberg 1971). The species is an excellent food spines. fish, and related species in the family Malacanthidae Larvae occurred from Ensenada (CalCOFI line 100) command a high market price, especially in Japan, to Magdalena Bay (line 140) and seaward to Guadalupe where they are used for sashimi (S. Kato, National Island. Occurrences were concentrated off central Baja Marine Fisheries Service, Tiburon, California, pers. California; only 20% of the positive tows were north of comm.). Sebastian Viscaino Bay. It is apparent from the dis- What little is known about the biology of C. tribution of larvae that ocean whitefish populations off princeps is summarized in Fitch and Lavenberg (1971). southern California are recruited from Baja California. Founnanoir ( 1970) briefly described some juveniles taken from tuna and lancetfish stomachs. Kramer and RESUMEN Smith ( 1973) briefly summarized the distribution of Larvas oceanicas de Caulolatilus princeps estuvi- ocean whitefish larvae from CalCOFI surveys of 1955- eron presentes en 88 arrastres de plancton realizados 60. Johnson ( 1984) summarized rostral spination in durante el programa CalCOFI entre 1954 y 1981. Estas Caulolatilus larvae in comparison with other malacan- robustas larvas desarrollan un claro conjunto de thid genera. Detailed descriptions of larvae and espinas y zonas espinosas en la region de la cabeza. El juveniles of other malacanthid species (Okiyama 1964; cuerpo se cubre con espinas diminutas, las cuales Fahay and Berrien 1981; Fahay 1983) show that in its crecen sobre cada escama. Las larvas tienen, ademis, early life history stages this family is among the most un patron de pigmentacion melanic0 caracteristico que highly developed of all teleosts. permite identificar estadios tempranos que aun no han Larvae of C. princeps are relatively rare in desarrollado espinas en la cabeza California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investiga- Se encontraron larvas desde Ensenada (CalCOFI tions (CalCOFI) plankton collections; however, this linea 100) hasta Bahia Magdalena (linea 140) y mar may result partly from their distribution off coastal afuera de la Isla Guadalupe. Las larvas se concentraron Baja California, where sampling has been relatively frente a la zona central de Baja California; s610 un 20% low. The purpose of this paper is to describe the larvae de 10s arrastres con larvas ocurri6 a1 Norte de la Bahia and pelagic juveniles of C. princeps and summarize Sebastian Vizcaino. La distribucion de las larvas in- their distribution in CalCOFI samples taken during dica que las poblaciones oceanicas de Caulolatilus 1954-81. princeps en el Sur de California son formadas por reclutas provenientes de Baja California. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 163 C. princeps larvae and 8 pelagic juve- INTRODUCTION niles was available for study. Larval specimens ranged The ocean whitefish, Caulolatilus princeps, ranges from 1.7 mm NL to 7.9 mm SL, and pelagic juveniles from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to Peru and ranged from 15.5 to 44.5 mm SL. A developmental is a prominent coastal bottomfish off southern series was established to study general morphology, California and Baja California (Miller and Lea 1972; Dooley 1978). Southern California commercial 'Reports of fish caught by the California commercial passenger fishing boat fleet. California Department of Fish and Game, Marine Resources Divi- [Manuscript received March 3, 1986.1 sion, Long Beach. 162 MOSER ET AL.: EARLY STAGES OF OCEAN WHITEFISH CalCOFI Rep., Vol. XXVII, 1986 TABLE 1 Measurements (mm) of Larvae and Pelagic Juveniles of Caulolatilus princeps Snout- Pectoral Body anus Head Head Snout Eye Body Pectoral fin base Pelvic Station length length length width length diameter depth fin length depth fin length 6107 123.45 2.6 1 .o 0.59 0.42 0. I3 0.27 0.68 0. I9 0.19 - 6608 120.45 2.8 1.2 0.65 0.57 0.18 0.33 0.83 0.22 0.31 - 6608 120.45 3.0 1.6 0.80 0.56 0.24 0.33 0.86 0.21 0.37 - 5410 130.55 3.3 1.5 1 .o 0.73 0.32 0.38 1 .o 0.28 0.35 - 5707 120.35 3.7 1.8 1.1 0.80 0.32 0.40 1.2 0.27 0.48 - 5707 120.35 4.0 1.9 1.2 0.83 0.35 0.47 1.2 0.32 0.57 - 5907 133.45 4.2 2.0 1.2 0.95 0.30 0.48 1.3 0.33 0.62 - 6007 130.35 4.5 2.1 1.3 1 .o 0.35 0.58 I .4 0.40 0.65 - 5908 123.55 4.7 2.3 1.5 1.2 0.36 0.60 1.5 0.37 0.64 0.02 5904 137.35 5.0 2.4 1.6 1.2 0.34 0.60 1.6 0.40 0.68 0.03 6107 133.35 5.3 2.7 1.7 1.2 0.30 0.65 1.8 0.50 0.69 0.05 6509 107.40 15.5 9.5 5.6 2.8 1.5 2.1 6.0 - 1.4 - 5706 130.60 16.9 10.0 5.9 3.1 1.6 2.1 6.3 3.0 1.5 2.2 5510 123.50 27.8 17.2 9.2 4.6 1.8 3.2 9.2 4.4 1.9 3.7 7510AX 130.30 33.9 18.8 10.3 5.4 2.2 3.9 IO. I 5.8 2.3 4.3 6010B 117.30 44.5 25.8 12.7 6.1 3.2 4.0 12.8 7.5 2.8 6.2 Specimens between dashed lines are in the notochord flexion stage; those below the solid line are pelagic juveniles. morphometry, and pigmentation. Additional speci- DESCRIPTION mens from the collection were used to define variabil- ity of these features. Subsequently, the series was General Morphology stained with Alizarin Red-S and cleared in a graded Larvae of C. princeps are characterized by a robust series of KOH and glycerin to determine the sequence body form and the development of larval features at a of formation of ossified fin rays, head spines, and scale comparatively small size (Tables 1-3; Figures 1 and 2). patches. Most of the small specimens were poorly ossi- Our smallest intact specimen (2.6 mm) has a relatively fied because of calcium leaching in preservation and, large head and a compact coiled gut with no evidence for these specimens, only the appearance of unossified of yolk. At the beginning of notochord flexion (about fin rays could be noted. The descriptive methods and 5.7 mm NL) the larva is highly robust and deep- terminology follow Ahlstrom et al. (1976) and Moser bodied, with a massive head, triangular-shaped gut et al. ( 1977). Head spines are named for the bones from mass, and large eye. Notochord flexion is completed at which they originate. Prior to the completion of about 7.0 mm SL, and this body form is maintained notochord flexion, body length is measured from the throughout the postflexion stage. Development of the tip of the snout to the tip of the notochord and is larval morph is shown by changes in body proportions designated “NL.” In postflexion specimens body (Table 2). Relative snout-anus length, head length, length is measured to the posterior edge of the hypural head width, snout length, and body depth increase plate and is termed “SL.” throughout the larval period. Each of these propor- TABLE 2 Average Body Proportions (% & Standard Deviation) for Larvae and Pelagic Juveniles of Caulolatilus princeps Snout-anus Pectoral fin Pelvic fin Pelvic fin length Head length Head width Snout length Eye diameter Body depth length base depth length Stage Body length Body length Head length Head length Head length Body length Body length Body length Body length Reflexion 47.224.05 28.823.25 21,622.66 25.924.30 41.1 24.46 30.622.06 7.920.70 12.622.25 -l.OtO.OO Flexion 53.523.54 34.522.12 21.0t0.00 26.522.12 41.02 1.41 37.520.71 11.520.71 13.0t0.00 I.020.00 Postflexion 59.0 2 0.00 39.0 t 0.00 23.5 2 0.7 1 27.5 2 3.54 37.5 t 2.12 41 .O ? 0.00 15 .O 2 1.4 I 13.5 2 0.7 1 7.5 2 2.12 Juvenile 59.0k2.74 32.623.05 16.62 1.67 24.013.32 36.6k3.78 33.623.34 17.020.82 7.6k 1.34 13.2t0.50 163 MOSER ET AL.: EARLY STAGES OF OCEAN WHITEFISH CalCOFI Rep., Vol.