The description of the embryonic and larval development was based on 30 eggs and 30 larvae. Breeders were collected on the Usumacinta River, Tabasco, Mexico and were subjected to manual fertilization in May 2011. Fertilized eggs were spherical, pelagic, translucent and non-adhesive and had an average diameter of 1.07 mm (SD = 0.10), showing a concentric lipid droplet of 0.85 mm (SD = 0.02). The embryo occupied 100% of the perivitelline space at hour 14:08 post-fertilization and the egg measured 1.18 mm (SD = 0.14) at this stage. Eclosion started 17 hours post-fertilization when larvae had a length of 2.54 mm (SD = 0.66). Eight preanal and 13 postanal myomeres were observed exhibiting a light brown color. The morphologic characters recorded in this study are similar to the anatomy of embryos and larvae of the Sciaenidae family. The diameter of the eggs and the length of the larvae for A. grunniens are slightly larger than other Sciaenidae species: A. regius, C. striatus, B. chrysora, C. regalis, L. xanthurus, P. cromis, G. lineatus and S. ocellatus. This is the first study of its kind and its results contribute to the knowledge of the species reproductive biology.

KEY WORDS: Embryo; Drum; Aplodinotus grunniens; Usumacinta.

HERNÁNDEZ-GÓMEZ, R. E.; PERERA-GARCIA, M. A.; VALENZUELA, C. I.; DURAN, M. T. & MENDOZA- CARRANZA, M. Embryonic development of Aplodinotus grunniens (Perciforme: Sciaenidae) in Tenosique, Tabasco, Mexico. Int. J. Morphol., 31(2):633-639, 2013.