Ph.D. Herrera-Cisterna, Guillermo

2016, Ph.D. Herrera-Cisterna, Guillermo, Landaeta, Mauricio, Castro, Leonardo

The finding of a late flexion cetomimid specimen of 24.6 mm body length (BL), plus a caudal streamer of 5.7 mm, collected in the southeastern Pacific near the Juan Fernandez seamounts (33.565°S; 77.710°W), is reported. The specimen was in good condition, almost fully pigmented, covered by small melanophores from the head to the caudal streamer, where the pigmentation is denser. It possesses an upturned mouth, developing pelvic fins with a high insertion, 14 dorsal and 15 anal fin rays, 7+7 principal caudal fin rays, ca. 54 myomeres, and a preanal distance of 75% BL. Based on the available information, the specimen can be tentatively ascribed to a species of Gyrinomimus or Cetomimus.

2016, Ph.D. Herrera-Cisterna, Guillermo, Landaeta, Mauricio, Zavala-Muñoz, Francisca, Bernal-Durán, Valentina, Brown, Donald

Larval development and shape ontogeny of the kelpfish Myxodes viridis (Clinidae) are described for the first time. A total of 214 individuals ranging between 3.51 and 23.09 mm standard length collected off central Chile were assessed employing classic and geometric morphometrics, illustration with camera lucida and a double-staining technique for cartilaginous and bone structure observation. Based on characteristics such as yolk sac presence and fin formation, six stages of larval development were differentiated: yolk sac, preflexion, flexion, early postflexion, late postflexion and juvenile. Shape changes during development are subtle and occur smoothly, being more significant in the head and preanal length, and ontogenetic allometry accounts for almost 15%. Cartilage formation takes place first at the branchial arches and cranium; then hypural, haemal and neural arches are consecutively formed. Bony structure ossification occurs late in the development. Vertebral centra ossify directly, without cartilaginous matrix replacement.

2018, Herrera-Cisterna, Guillermo, Zavala-Muñoz, Francisca, Landaeta, Mauricio F.

Although larvae of the starry butterfish Stromateus stellatus (Family Stromateidae) are often observed in coastal waters of the southeastern Pacific Ocean, there is no formal description of the species’ early development. Using ichthyoplankton samples collected off central Chile, the larval development, including observations on osteology of late postflexion stage larvae, and temporal differences in larval densities in nearshore waters are described. Preflexion larvae have a short, rounded snout and a distinctive pigment pattern. Notable transformations throughout the development from early preflexion to postflexion are the increase in preanal length from less than 40 to more than 50% of body length (BL) and in body depth from 5 to 33% BL. Initially, larvae develop 3 melanophores on the dorsal contour of the body, small melanophores at the jaw angle, and a row along the ventral margin of the tail. Large melanophores dorsal and ventral to the gut, intestine, and above the swim bladder are also present in early preflexion. After notochord flexion, larvae develop light pigmentation on the sides of the tail, and heavy pigmentation on the head and trunk. The larvae share the general shape of the family, with a body that increases notably in depth and preanal length during development; they present characteristic pigmentation that differentiates them from larvae of related species. The larvae were recorded in low density (less than 6 ind. 100 m-3) in the nearshore during mid-spring (October) and early summer (late December until mid-January) off central Chile. The occurrence of the larvae in the plankton recorded in central Chile is consistent with information from literature of larval distribution and reproductive activity in adults.