CHENOWETH: FISH LARVAE OF CENTRAL MAINE 



< 

 > 



< 



lOOOr 



100: 



10: 



NOJ FMAMJ J ASO 



20 r 



10- 



UJ 



z 



Figure 4. — Seasonal abundance of the 

 following kinds of fish larvae in the 

 Boothbay region, January through 

 August 1968 and November 1969 

 through October 1970: A. Cottidae, 

 B. Pholis gunnellus, C. Liparidae, D. 

 Anguilla rostrata, E. Cryptacanthodes 

 maculatus, F. Lumpenus lumpretae- 

 formis, G. Gadidae, H. Aspidophoroides 

 monopterygius. 



100 



10 



Lumpenus lumpretoeformis 



I ' I 1 I 



I I 



10 



N DJ F MAMJ J ASO 



Gadidae 



I I I I I I 



lOOc 



NOJ F MAMJ J ASO 



Cryptacanthodes maculatus 



100 



N OJ FMAMJ J ASO 



- Aspidophoroides 

 monopterygius 



10 



N OJ FMAMJJ ASO 



I I I I 



J 



N OJ FMAMJJ ASO 



NDJFMAMJ J ASO 



h Pholis gunnellus 



The eggs of P. gunnellus are demersal, and 



yolk sac larvae were found in the upper estuaries 



during this study, suggesting that they were 



spawned there. The larvae appeared in the 



catches from January to July and reached peak 



I abundance in February and March (Figure 4B) . 



They represented 20% of the catch in 1968 and 



1 50% of the catches in 1970. Their distribu- 



Ition was upper estuarine and, like cottids, they 



were most abundant at station 2 (28% of the 

 catch in 1968 and 59% in 1970). 



Liparis sp. 



Liparid larvae were common in our catches 

 in 1968 (14% of the catch) but less so in 1970 

 (1%) (Figure 4C). They probably spawn 

 within the estuaries as they lay demersal eggs, 

 and yolk sac larvae were found in the upper 

 estuaries. The greatest number were taken in 



109 



