AHLSTROM: FISH LARVAE IN EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC 

 130' 120° MO" 



Figure 6. — Distribution of larvae of the gonostomatid, Vindguerria spp. on EASTROPAC I. Collections of 

 1 to 100 larvae are shown as circles with dot in center, collections of 101 or more larvae as large solid circles; 

 negative hauls are shown as small solid circles. 



between V. lucetia and V. nimbaria are (1) 

 number of gill rakers and (2) number of IV 

 (and OV) photophores. Material of V. nim- 

 baria studied from the eastern North Pacific 

 (ibid.) had 5 to 6 +15 gill rakers and 23 to 

 24 IV photophores (13 to 14 OV photophores) 

 whereas V. lucetia had 8 to 10 + 18 to 23 gill 

 rakers and 20 to 23 IV photophores (10 to 13 

 OV photophores) . In the EASTROPAC area, 

 V. lucetia maintained the high gill raker counts, 

 but usually had 21 IV (11 OV) photophores. 

 The offshore form referred to V. nimbaria usu- 

 ally had 22 IV (12 OV) photophores (1 less 



per group than in V. nimbaria from the temper- 

 ate North Pacific) and 6 to 7 + 15 to 16 gill 

 rakers (a slightly higher count). 



In most areas the adults of the two species 

 of Vindguerria did not co-occur, hence the 

 larvae can be assigned with some assurance to 

 one or the other. For example, all collections 

 made between lat 5° and 20° S from Argo and 

 Jordan patterns were exclusively V. nimbaria. 

 On these patterns the plankton hauls were sup- 

 plemented by micronekton net hauls, and the 

 latter contained material of Vindguerria ju- 

 veniles and adults from most stations occupied 



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