Comparative notes on postlarvae and pelagic juveniles of the rocklings Gaidopsarus mediterraneus, Rhinonemus cimbrius, Ciliata mustela and C. septentrionalis.

Demir, N., Southward, A. J. and Dando, P. R. 1985 Comparative notes on postlarvae and pelagic juveniles of the rocklings Gaidopsarus mediterraneus, Rhinonemus cimbrius, Ciliata mustela and C. septentrionalis.. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 65. 801-839. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315400052607

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Abstract/Summary

A full series of development stages is described for Gaidropsaurus mediterraneus,Rhinonemus cimbrius, Ciliata mustela and C. septentrionalis from the early postlarval to the late stage of pelagic life, based on samples collected from British waters. In the early postlarval stages, up to 9-10 mm standard length, the four species can be separated on characters provided by body pigmentation, the relative length of the pelvic fins and the relative length of the pigmented part of the pelvic fins. The absence or presence of temporal spines, and their size when present, can be an especially useful character, but fails to separate C. mustela and C. septentrionalis. During later stages of development, the numbers of barbels, their relative length and the size of the postlarvae when they first appear offer important distinguishing features. From about 5 to 7 mm in length, the numbers of either total or pre-caudal vertebrae also help to separate the four species from one another. The seasonal occurrences of the postlarvae and pelagic juveniles of these species in the Plymouth area suggest that spawning of G. mediterraneus and R. cimbrius probably takes place in May-October. Spawning of C. mustela and C. septentrionalis may occur between March and September, but it is probable that most of the spawning of these species occurs in the earlier half of this period. The distribution of rockling postlarvae and juveniles in the plankton off Plymouth does not indicate much geographical separation of the species.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Subjects:	Marine Sciences
Divisions:	Marine Biological Association of the UK > Other (MBA)
Depositing User:	Professor Paul Dando
Date made live:	09 Aug 2022 14:50
Last Modified:	09 Aug 2022 14:50
URI:	https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/9765

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