Description of the larval stages of the Shield Darter, Percina peltata (Pisces: Percidae), in New York

Abstract

A series of larvae of Percina peltata (Pisces: Percidae) was collected from the Neversink River, a Delaware River tributary, in spring of 2001 and 2002. We provide descriptions and illustrations of yolk sac larvae and post yolk sac larvae through the end of larval development. The larval morphology of P. peltata is plesiomorphic for the clade of the Etheostomatinae which we correlate with the plesiomorphic position afforded P. peltata in other studies. We do not consider the larval morphology of this species to be an adaptation to its environment.