Preliminary observations of the skeletal development in pre-flexion larvae of sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria

Sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria support a lucrative fishery in the Gulf of Alaska, but their numbers have been declining despite a regulated fishery. Recruitment in A. fimbria is poorly understood due to its unusual early life history relative to many other deep-water fishes. Developmental patterns can identify critical periods during ontogeny that influence foraging and swimming abilities among individual larvae. External development in A. fimbria has been described, but the data presented here are the first examination of the skeletal development of A. fimbria during the transition to first feeding.