FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 69, NO. ! 



taken on EASTROPAC I. However, the ma- 

 jority of apogonid larvae were those of Howella 

 pammelas (Heller and Snodgrass), a pelagic 

 species that occurred most commonly in the off- 

 shore pattern occupied by Argo (Fig. 14). An 

 excellent developmental series has been ob- 

 tained of this species. 



36. CARANGIDAE 

 (31 occurrences, 183 larvae) 



Although a number of kinds of carangid 

 larvae were obtained on EASTROPAC I only 

 larvae of the pilotfish, Naucrates ductor (L.), 

 are separately tabulated (Appendix Table 3). 

 Most carangid larvae were taken at stations 

 adjacent to the coast or in the vicinity of off- 

 shore islands or banks, and over 50 % of the 

 carangid larvae were obtained at two stations 

 (13.019-70 larvae, 14.016-34 larvae). In these 

 larger collections, the most common carangid 

 larvae were Chloroscomhrus orqueta Jordan and 

 Gilbert and Selene brevoorti (Gill). Several 

 times as many young carangids were taken in 

 one haul of the 5-ft micronekton net as in all 

 plankton samples: 384 specimens at station 

 14.014. Species composition was as follows: 

 Naucrates ductor, 288 specimens, 13.0 to 27.5 

 mm ; Elagatls bipinniilattis Quoy and Gaimard, 

 71 specimens, 18.5 to 42.0 mm; and Caranx 

 cabaUu3 Giinther, 25 specimens, 12.0 to 

 25.0 mm. 



40. CORYPHAENIDAE 

 (86 occurrences, 118 larvae) 



Larvae of the dolphin, Coryphaena spp., were 

 widely distributed throughout the EASTROPAC 



area, but occurred in small numbers, usually 

 one or two specimens per positive haul (average 

 1.4). The occurrence and abundance of Cory- 

 phaena larvae in various parts of the EASTRO- 

 PAC area are summarized in Table 20. The 

 majority of specimens obtained were early- 

 stage larvae; no attempt was made to distin- 

 guish between the two species of Coryphaena. 

 Charts showing distribution of Coryphaena 

 larvae on EASTROPAC cruises will be included 

 in the EASTROPAC Atlas. 



44. NOMEIDAE 

 (178 occurrences, 961 specimens) 



The nomeids are an important constituent 

 of the epipelagic fauna of the open ocean. Two 

 genera were represented in the EASTROPAC 

 collections, Psenes and Cubiceps. Larvae of 

 Cubiceps were the more common, but more kinds 

 of Psenes larvae were obtained. Altogether, 

 eight different kinds of nomeid larvae have been 

 observed, which differ in meristics, pigmenta- 

 tion, and body shape. In several developmental 

 series of larvae of the genus Psenes the pelvic 

 fins developed early, and became conspicuously 

 long and pigmented on older larvae. The larger 

 collections of nomeid larvae were obtained be- 

 tween lat 10° N and 5° S (Fig. 15). Only a 

 few collections were obtained to the south of 

 lat 7° S in the patterns occupied by the Argo, 

 Jordan, and Rockaway, i.e. in the central water 

 mass of the South Pacific. Areal occurrences 

 and relative abundance of nomeid larvae on 

 EASTROPAC I are summarized in Table 

 21. 



38 



