FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 72, NO. 4 



BAY OF BENGAL 



ARABIAN SEA 



DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES 



Figure 6. — Frequency distribution of developmental stages of Nematoscelis gracilis "old 

 form" in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. (Number of samples used to calculate 

 monthly averages ranged from 11 to 18.) 



full extent of the transition zone (Figures 4, 5). In 

 the western Indian Ocean, the maximum number 

 of larvae (as many as 280 larvae per sample) was 

 caught during October 1962 (Natal cruise 5). In 

 the east, Diamantina cruise 3/62 caught up to 90 

 larvae per sample during September 1962. Al- 

 though Boden (1954) reported this species in the 

 region of the Mozambique Current, I did not find it 



in meter-net samples or mid-water trawls taken 

 north of lat. 34°S in waters of southeast Africa 

 (Figure 7b). (Trawls were made during the 

 October- November period.) However, the north- 

 ern boundary of distribution appears to lie be- 

 tween lat. 28°S and 30°S. The northernmost record 

 of this species was at lat. 28°18'S, long. 62°33'E 

 {Vitiaz 36, station 5323). 



1052 



