A description of late and transformation stages of larvae of the diaphus ostenfeldi in the western periphery of the south pacific gyre

Abstract

Postflexion and transformation stages of the Diaphus ostenfeldi in the southwestern Pacific Ocean are described for the first time. Identifica-tion to the species level was based on tracing characters from fully formed, large metamorphic specimens back-ward to smaller specimens. It was found that larval D. ostenfeldi ≥9.5 mm standard body length (SL) can be char-acterized by a unique character within the genus Diaphus, namely the presence of melanophores at the dorsal fin base and between branchiostegal rays. Metamorphosis in larvae of this species occurs at a much longer body length (~20 mm SL) than in larvae of other species of this genus.