Larvae with distinctive pigmentation. From flexion stage two or three melanophores along ventral and dorsal margins of the caudal peduncle. Body slender with weak head spination. May be confused with many percoid larvae with short coiled guts, slender body and gap between anus and anal fin, e.g. pomacentrids, haemulids, sparids, mullids and gobiids. Furthermore, identification to species level is difficult, as meristic features of gerreids are similar. Post-flexion larva of Eucinostomus sp. from California region is shown in Eucinostomus sp (Watson, 1996d).
Table Gerreidae
22 geographic zones