Page 149 - 《水产学报》2026年第2期

2 期 水 产 学 报 50 卷

complex formation in E. punctifer and contribute new knowledge on the osteological characteristics of the genus Encrasicho-
lina, and aid in understanding larval and juvenile ontogeny of marine teleosts.
Key words: Encrasicholina punctifer; skeletal structures; ontogeny; larvae and juveniles; staining and clearing of cartilage and
bone
Corresponding author: ZHONG Junsheng. E-mail: jszhong@shou.edu.cn
Funding projects: Integrated Scientific Survey of the High Seas Fishery Resources, Major Project of the Ministry of Agricul-
ture and Rural Affairs of China (D-8021-21-0109-01)

Encrasicholina punctifer, commonly known as However, llittle is known about the early skeletal
[1]
the Buccaneer anchovy, is an epipelagic schooling development of E. punctifer during its larval and
[2]
[20]
species belonging to the family Engraulidae . It is juvenile stages. Chen et al. described the import-
widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific [1,3] and is found ance of these stages for understanding fish population
inshore and in oceanic waters, hundreds of miles from dynamics and recruitment. The present study focuses
land, sometimes entering large atoll lagoons or deep, on the bone development of E. punctifer during its
clear bays. It ranks among the most important food early larval and juvenile stages, which can provide the
[4]
(bait) for tuna and other large pelagic fishes . It has basis for developmental biology of the anchovies.
been reported in several locations, including the Phil-
ippines, India, the Persian Gulf, Southeast Asia, Japan, 1 MATERIAL AND METHODS
[5]
the eastern coast of Africa, and Hawaii . Among the
From August 15 to September 9, 2022, 50
major commercial fish species in the Philippines, the
sampling stations were set up in the Philippine Sea
anchovies are the most widely exploited due to their
(11°-19°N, 129°-138°E). Ichthyoplankton samples
wide range of distribution in the territorial waters of
were collected using a larval net (1.3 m in diameter,
the archipelago at different seasons of the year and are
0.5 mm mesh size), towed horizontally at an average
mostly exploited for fresh, dried, and salted consump-
speed of 2 knots for 20 minutes. All samples were pre-
[6]
tion .
served in neutral buffered formalin. Larvae were ana-
Since the pioneering and taxonomic works of
lysed under the Olympus SZX7 dissecting microscope
[7]
Fowler , spects such as the reproductive biology,
for species identification, individual counting, body
growth, mortality, and exploitation of the anchovy, E.
punctifer have been investigated [8-9] . Salarpouri et al. length measurement, and recording of developmental
stages. Notochord length (NL) was recorded for pre-
reported that the anchovy's feeding habits are plankti-
[10]
vorous, with a diet consisting mainly of crustaceans . flexion and flexion larvae, whereas standard length
Encrasicholina punctifer belongs to the Clupeiformes, (SL) was used for postflexion larvae and juveniles.
Fifty larvae and juveniles of E. punctifer, ran-
of which the phylogenetic relationships have been the
subject of several morphological and molecular stud- ging from 3.78 to 35.56 mm in length, were selected at
ies [11-15] . Studies on the molecular systematics of the random, cleared and stained principally following the
[21]
[16]
genus Encrasicholina have also been conducted . technique described by Dingerkus et al. . After fixa-
Çiftçi et al. [17] studied the external morphological tion in 10% formalin, samples were immersed in dis-
characteristics of E. punctifer. The osteology of other tilled water for two days to remove residual the form-
clupeiforms has also been studied. For example, Dizaj alin. Cartilage was stained with Alcian blue (10 mg
[18]
et al. described the taxonomic significance of ver- dissolved in a solution of 80% ethanol and 20% gla-
tebral column and caudal skeleton of clupeid fishes, cial acetic acid) for 48 h. Samples were then trans-
while the postcranial skeletal development of the ferred to 100% ethanol for three days, with at least one
Atlantic herring (Clupeidae: Clupea harengus) has ethanol change. Dehydration was performed through a
[19]
been detailed . graded ethanol series (95%, 75%, 40%, and 15%) until
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