Toole et al.: Otolith microstructure, microchemistry. and early life history of Microstomus paaficus 



75! 



cur during Stage 3, it is possible that total duration of 

 Stage 3 is longer. Markle et al. (1992) suggested that, 

 based on seasonal collections of Stage-3 and Stage-4 

 larvae, Stage 3 lasted approximately 45 days. Without 

 a landmark for the Stage 3 to 4 transition, duration of 

 Stage 4 could not be determined in this study. How- 

 ever, the combined period of Stages 3 and 4 could last 

 up to 126 days, based on increments distal to enclo- 

 sure of otoliths from Stage-4 larvae. Markle et al. ( 1992) 

 observed one captive larva that took 43 days to progress 

 through Stage 4, suggesting a combined duration 

 through Stages 3 and 4 of about 90 days. 



Acknowledgments 



This work is part of a doctoral dissertation by the 

 senior author and was funded in part by the Pacific 

 Outer Continental Shelf Region of the Minerals Man- 

 agement Service, Dept. of Interior Contract No. 14-12- 

 0001-30429; by the Oregon Sea Grant Program, Project 

 No. NA85AA-D-SG095; and by the National Marine 

 Fisheries Service, Contract NA-87-ABH-00014. We 

 greatly appreciate the cooperation of J. Butler and 

 W Lenarz of NMFS, who shared specimens and re- 

 sults of ongoing research. We also thank Capt. T.N. 

 Thompson of the FV Olympic for donation of a portion 

 of the ship time, and the crew of the Olympic for col- 

 lection of specimens during normal fishing operations. 

 We thank J. Platz, B. Ralston, T. Shibahara, and 

 S. Banks for assistance with otolith preparation, and 

 R. Nielsen and C. Donohoe for assistance with micro- 

 probe analysis. We are grateful to the many people 

 who assisted with field collections, including C. Ridgely, 

 D. Nelson, S. Banks, R. Melendez, T. Shibahara, and 

 C. Donohoe. 



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