RICHARDS and KENDALL: DISTRIBUTION OF SAND LANCE LARVAE 



apparently decreased after they reached 25 mm. 

 During May, larvae and juveniles disappeared 

 from the water column. General migration 

 back to the coast or to the bottom on offshore 

 banks was indicated. 



The long spawning season, causing hatching 

 to take place from late November through mid- 

 April, was evidenced by the patchy distribution 

 of small specimens and the multimodal char- 

 acter of length frequencies. Interspersion of 

 groups prevented accurate analysis of growth 

 during the hatching season. 



All larvae, regardless of hatching date, had 

 similar melanophore patterns and meristic 

 counts, and resembled postlarval Ammodytes 

 previously found from Greenland to Virginia 

 and postlarval A. maniius from northern Euro- 

 pean waters. Differences in meristic character 

 counts probably resulted from temperature 

 effects on development time required to attain 

 adult characteristics. 



Data described in this paper show two over- 

 lapping areas of larval abundance, indicating 

 that the southern New England sand lances 

 may be separate from those found off Delaware 

 Bay. In addition, earlier evidence suggests 

 that inshore and offshore groups exist 

 (Richards et al., 1963; Scott, 1968). Unfor- 

 tunately, data from these cruises are not suffi- 

 cient to determine the definite existence of 

 separate inshore and offshore populations south 

 of Cape Cod. However, it appears that the 

 distribution of all sand lances may be related 

 to estuaries. 



LITERATURE CITED 



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