ANNALS OF THE CAPE PROVINCIAL MUSEUMS. Volume 18. Part 8. by Cambray, J.A: Early Ontogeny And Notes On Breeding Behaviour, Habitat Preferance And Conservation Of The Cape Kurper, Sandelia (Pisces: Anabantidae).

Cape Provincial Museum, Albany Museum, Grahamstown, Natural History. Volume 18. Part 8. 30th April 1990.. New unread copy.. Stapled wraps, p159-p182. illustrated, 184mm wide x 240mm high. The development of the eggs, free embryos and larvae of Sandelia capensis is described from laboratory-reared specimens. The eggs had 1.0-1.4 mm diameters, adhesive egg envelopes, narrow perivitelline spaces and single oil globules 0.62 mm in diameter. The eggs were negatively buoyant. The free embryos hatched at a premature ontogenetic stage and were 3.0-3.6 mm NL. They attached themselves to objects using the adhesive surface on the dorsum of their heads. At 4.7 mm NL the oil globule began to migrate dorsally and divided into a right and left globule and during that period the swimbladder inflated. Thes asymmetrical oil globules disappeared at between 6.3-6.9 mm NL. The swimbladder began to extend posteriorly at 6.25 mm SL and reached maximum posterior penetration to the caudal peduncle at 14.4 mm SL. The larval fishes commenced feeding at 5.35mm NL. Pelvic buds formed between 6.9-7.2 mm SL. The larval fish transformed to juveniles by 13.0mm SL. Notes on the breeding behaviour, habitat preference and conservation of S. capensis are included.