Ontogeny of the body skeleton in Seriola dumerili (Risso, 1810)

Abstract

Osteological development of Seriola dumerili is described and illustrated based on 141 specimens (3.9–27.0 mm TL) reared under semi-intensive culture conditions (Greece). The ontogeny of the vertebral column started with the formation of the neural arches (4.6 mm TL) and continued with the haemal arches and the centrum (4.8 mm TL). Until the end of the study, the centrum (12.5 mm TL) and neural arches (23.8 mm TL) were fully formed, while the haemal arches were not. The first skeletal elements of the fins started developing in the pectoral (3.9 mm TL), anal (4.8 mm TL), caudal (4.8 mm TL), dorsal (6.0 mm TL) and pelvic fins (6.3 mm TL), while the fin rays followed a slightly different pattern pectoral (5.6 mm TL), caudal (5.3 mm TL), anal (6.2 mm TL), dorsal (6.3 mm TL) and pelvic fin rays (7.0 mm TL). The ontogeny of the skeletal parts are compared with those of other Carangidae and Teleosts.