Determinación de las principales características que permiten la identificación de las larvas de Opisthonema spp. en la costa del Pacífico de Baja California Sur

Abstract

This study is an outcome from a project related to the eva­luation of spawning biomass for sardines and anchovies, in the Pa cific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico as a joint program — between the Secretaría de Pesca and Instituto Politécnico Nacio­nal. To attempt this, it was evident the need for a precise iden­tification of the clupeiform species present in this area, be-cause there are not previous descriptions for the eggs or larvae of the species belogning to the genus Opbsthonema Gill (1980) for this particular area. The same meristic and morfometric character employed by Ri­chards et al (1974) for the description for the Atlantic species O. oglínum, were considered in the present study selecting those which permit a faster and more precise identification. As a matter of comparation, these same data were taken for Sakdínops uwax larvae in order to decide upon the most useful set of characters for the identification of these clupeids, even in for early larvae. To accomplish this point, the changes of body pro­portions with growth were determined for both species.