Larva and juveniles belonging to two ophidiid species of the genus Brotula Cuvier 1829, Brotula sp. 1 [3 specimens, 14.2, 50.7, and 55.7 mm in standard length (SL)] and Brotula sp. 2 (1 specimen, 47.8 mm SL), were collected from the Northwest Pacific Ocean off the Okinawa, Izu (Aoga-shima Island and Miyake-jima Island), and Ogasawara Islands, Japan. Although the counts and proportions of both species agree with the documented ranges of Brotula multibarbata Temminck and Schlegel 1846 known from Japan, the larva and juveniles are clearly different from each other by the following combination of characters: counts of dorsal-fin rays [Brotula sp. 1, 122–126 (about 130 in the larva) vs. Brotula sp. 2, 118], anal-fin rays [94–101 (106) vs. 85], caudal-fin rays (11 vs. 9), and vertebrae (14 + 45–46 = 59–60 vs. 16 + 42 = 58); position of dorsal-fin origin [above or posterior to pectoral-fin base (above 6th vertebra) vs. anterior to pectoral-fin base (above 3rd vertebra)]; predorsal length (56.5–59.8% vs. 51.0% of preanal-fin length); blackish spots behind eye (present vs. absent); brown spots on body and vertical fins (present vs. absent); size of pectoral fin [small, not reaching anus (13.5–13.7% of SL) vs. large, reaching anus (28.3% of SL)]; and length between dorsal- and anal-fin origins (22.7–24.6% vs. 31.3% of SL). The occurrence of the larva and juveniles suggests that “B. multibarbata” known from Japan represents two species: Brotula sp. 1 and Brotula sp. 2 are probably B. multibarbata and Brotula formosae Jordan and Evermann 1902, respectively; the former is currently regarded as the senior synonym of the latter. In addition, this study describes for the first time the living coloration of Brotula larva.

中文翻译：

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从西北太平洋收集的两种 Brotula 物种（Ophidiiformes：Ophidiidae）的幼虫和幼虫

属于 Brotula Cuvier 1829 属的两个 ophidiid 物种的幼虫和幼虫， Brotula sp。1 [3 个样本，标准长度 (SL) 为 14.2、50.7 和 55.7 毫米] 和 Brotula sp。2（1 个标本，47.8 毫米 SL），是从冲绳、伊豆（青鹿岛和三宅岛）和日本小笠原群岛附近的西北太平洋收集的。尽管这两个物种的数量和比例与日本已知的 Brotula multibarbata Temminck 和 Schlegel 1846 的记录范围一致，但幼虫和幼虫在以下特征组合上明显不同：背鳍条数 [Brotula sp . 1, 122–126（幼虫中约 130）与 Brotula sp. 2, 118]、臀鳍条 [94–101 (106) vs. 85]、尾鳍条 (11 vs. 9) 和椎骨 (14 + 45–46 = 59–60 vs. 16 + 42 = 58); 背鳍起点位置 [胸鳍基部上方或后方（第 6 节椎骨上方）与胸鳍基部前方（第 3 节椎骨上方）]；前背鳍长度（56.5–59.8% vs. 51.0% 的前臀鳍长度）；眼后黑点（存在与不存在）；身体和垂直鳍上的褐色斑点（存在与不存在）；胸鳍大小 [小，未到达肛门（SL 的 13.5-13.7%）与大，到达肛门（SL 的 28.3%）]；以及背鳍和臀鳍起点之间的长度（22.7-24.6% 与 31.3% 的 SL）。幼虫和幼虫的出现表明“B. multibarbata”来自日本，代表两个物种： Brotula sp. 1 和 Brotula sp。2 可能分别是 B. multibarbata 和 Brotula formosae Jordan 和 Evermann 1902；前者目前被视为后者的高级代名词。此外，