FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 72, NO. 4 



Nematoscelis mega lops 



• I - 24% OF THE SAMPLE 



 25-49% 



 >50% 



a 



Figure 8. — Distribution of Nematoscelis in the Atlantic Ocean based on plankton samples: a - N. 



megalops. 



(Figure 8a). Boden (1954) recorded this species 

 from the Benguela Current as far north as lat. 

 22°S. From the western part of the South Atlantic 

 no data is available. The only literature record is 

 from the Brazil Current area, between lat. 45°S 

 and 50°S and long. 62°W and 68°W (Ramirez, 

 1971). 



Pacific Ocean 



Nematoscelis megalops and N. difficilis are a 

 recognized sibling species pair, occupying trans- 

 oceanic belts of the transition zones of the South 

 and North Pacific oceans respectively (Brinton, 

 1962). During the Downwind Expedition, Brinton 

 found N. megalops distributed between lat. 33°S 

 and 48°S in midocean. The Monsoon Expedition 

 caught it as far south as lat. 54°21'S (Figure 7b). 



Along the coasts of Chile between lat. 30°S and 

 50°S this species was caught by MV-65 (Anton 

 Bruun ), Piquero III, and Scorpio I expeditions. 



Geographical Distribution of 



N. difficilis 



Nematoscelis difficilis is endemic to the North 

 Pacific, occupying the North Pacific Drift and the 

 California Current (Figure 7b). It was reported 

 during Transpacific Expedition from seven sta- 

 tions located east of Japan (Brinton, 1962). In the 

 present study it was found in mid-water trawls 

 from near lat. 40°N between long. 130°W and 

 160°W. Along the North American coast, the dis- 

 tribution extends northward to lat. 51°N (Banner, 

 1949) and southward to lat. 20°N (Brinton, 1962). 

 It is common in the cold water of the California 



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