Evolución del patrón de coloración melánica en los primeros estadios de desarrollo de la mojarra, Archocentrus myrnae Loiselle, 1997 (Perciformes: Cichlidae)

The ontogeny of melanistic colour patterns in larval, fry and juvenile of the topaz cichlid (Archocentrus myrnae, Loiselle 1997) a biparental substrate spawning cichlid of Central America, are described at different developmental stages. Six hundred fish were randomly sampled, studied and photographed during 80 days of development. Figures were created from the resultant photographs. Larvae present two longitudinal stripes 24 hours posthatching; a midlateral stripe and a ventral stripe. Four days posthatching, both stripes fused into a single longitudinal stripe. At day 16 this stripe desappears and the development of dorsal and ventral semi-bars initiate till day 80. Two melanocyte aggregations remain in adult colouration: the midlateral spot (corresponding to bar IV) and the caudal peduncle spot (bar VIII). The results obtained establish the development of colour pattern in the topaz cichlid from hatching to 80 days. The results may provide a useful tool for the study of behavioural relationships, the study of colour development and for the establishment of phylogenetic relationships within the neotropical cichlids.