DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15157273
title: TABLE 2 in The lionfishes: Comparative development of Pterois volitans, Dendrochirus barberi, and D. hemprichi (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae: Pteroinae) and discrimination of their early life stages from non-pteroine scorpaenid genera in the Western North Atlantic

description: TABLE 2. Pterois volitans, Dendrochirus barberi, and D. hemprichi morphometrics by life stage. Mean (range). Abbreviations: standard length (SL); head length (HL); orbit diameter (OD); body depth at cleithrum (BDc); caudal-peduncle depth at terminal margin of dorsal-fin base (CPD); caudal-peduncle length (CPL); posterior shelf of preopercle (PPO); character not developed (ND). Asterisk indicates morphometric not available due to specimen damage. Dorsal-fin base length to SL ratio excluded for the aberrant 12.9 mm P. volitans larva lacking first three dorsal spines and associated structures.
Character (expressed as designated ratio)Pterois volitansDendrochirus barberiDendrochirus hemprichiPreflexionFlexionPostflexion/ TransformersPostflexion/ TransformersJuvenileNumber of specimens126121Standard length (mm)2.53.6–3.95.9–12.98.6–14.021.0Head length (% SL)36%38–43%32 (31–33%)32 (29–35%)38%Orbit diameter (% HL)32%31–33%34 (30–36%)37 (33–40%)40%Snout length (% OD)90%85–92%91 (82–100%)70 (63–77%)63%Longest preopercular spine (% OD)ND48–51%49 (40–65%)29 (20–36%) 125% 2Upper-jaw length (% HL)46%49–52%47 (43–54%)49 (45–53%)54%Maximum depth of maxilla (% OD)*56–57%62 (58–67%)49 (45–55%)44%Preanal length (% SL)56%59–61%60 (59–62%)62 (58–65%)67%Body depth at cleithrum (% SL)20%32–34%29 (27–32%)34 (30–37%)43%Maximum depth of pectoral-fin base (% BDc)*55–56%54 (52–58%)49 (44–54%)39%CPD at dorsal-fin base termination (% SL)ND12–13%14 (13–15%)17 (16–19%)14%Caudal-peduncle length (% SL)ND17–20%15 (12–16%)15 (13–16%)11%CPL/CPD ratioND61–71%93 (89–100%)84 (75–90%)75%CPD/BDc ratioND36–38%50 (48–52%)51 (49–53%)36%Snout tip to pelvic-fin base (% SL)ND36%32 (29–34%)35 (33–38%)34%Dorsal-fin base length (% SL)ND18–21%56 (50–61%)55 (52–59%)60%Ratio of 1st/2nd dorsal spine lengthNDND49% 3100% / 76% 475%Ratio of 1st/2nd anal spine lengthNDND61–64% 555 (46–67%)50%Anal-fin base length (% SL)ND13–15%22 (20–24%)20 (17–21%)18%Snout tip to 1st dorsal pterygiophore (% SL)NDND32 (29–35%)29 (25–32%)26%Snout tip to last anal pterygiophore (% SL)ND72–81%83 (80–85%)82 (78–84%)87%Pelvic-fin origin to 1st anal pterygiophore (% SL)ND22–28%28 (26–31%)27 (25–32%)32%
1 Upper four spines along preopercle subequal
2 Longest PPO spine is uppermost (PPO-1)
3 Only one larva with first & second dorsal spines developed & intact
4 Only one postflexion & one transforming larva with both dorsal spines intact
5 Only two larvae with first & second anal spines developed & intact
description: Published as part of Ditty, James G., Malca, Estrella & Vásquez-Yeomans, Lourdes, 2024, The lionfishes: Comparative development of Pterois volitans, Dendrochirus barberi, and D. hemprichi (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae: Pteroinae) and discrimination of their early life stages from non-pteroine scorpaenid genera in the Western North Atlantic, pp. 9 in Zootaxa 5446 (1) on page 9, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5446.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11084543