Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 August 2004
A preliminary ontogenetic series of common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus) larvae is presented showing that larvae of this species possess an occipital crest from 4 to 16 mm total length. Such a trait has been described as a diagnostic character of the larvae of another sparid fish, namely Pagrus pagrus, and has been erroneously considered as being absent in all other Sparidae species. This caused confusion and erratic identifications of the two species of larvae in Mediterranean ichthyoplankton investigations.