Metamorphosis of Elopomorphs - Metamorphosis in Fish - page 86

Figure 6. Morphological changes in larval and metamorphosing bonefi sh ( Albula sp. A). All
fi sh are drawn to scale and the largest larva is 63 mm in standard length. Reproduced from
Pfeiler (2007) with permission.
Besides the change in water content, metamorphosis was accompanied
by the changes in various biochemical conditions. Approximately 80-90%
of the Na + , Cl - and carbohydrate, and about 50% of the lipids, were lost
during metamorphosis and were considered to be closely associated with
the breakdown of the gelatinous matrix (Pfeiler, 1984a and b; Pfeiler and
Luna, 1984). These changes in water and salt content were not affected by
external salinities varying between 8 and 35‰ (Pfeiler, 1984c).
3.4.3 Anguilliform metamorphosis
This group comprises the largest number of species in the Elopomorpha
and, consequently, they vary greatly in shape, size, habitat, and life history.
Leptocephali of the anguilliforms are also diverse in their morphology.
Although there are numerous diagrams of a variety of anguilliform
leptocephali, the sequence of metamorphic change is poorly understood