Morphometric development in laboratory-reared larval and juvenile Puntioplites proctozysron (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae)

Abstract

Several morphometric characters with observing general morphology of laboratory-reared larval and juvenile Puntioplites proctozysron (9–40-day-old, 6.8 to 23.4 mm body length, BL) were observed. All myomeres were observable in day 9 flexion larvae. The body proportions tended to become constant in juveniles except for the body depth and upper jaw length that increased continuously. Dorsal and caudal fin-rays already appeared in day 9 larvae, followed by anal, pelvic and pectoral fins, and overall aggregate fin-ray numbers attained full complements by 13.7 mm BL on day 35. Melanophores were scarce in day 9 larvae except those on head, those appeared on trunk and increased in postflexion larvae > 11.0 mm BL, covering whole trunk above lateral line in juveniles.