AHLSTROM: KIND AND ABUNDANCE OF FISH LARVAE 



130° 120' I lo- 



go 



Figure 12. — Distribution of larvae of two species of myctophid lanternfishes. Records of occurrence of larvae 

 of Ceratoscopehis townsendi-complex are shown as open triangles with dot for collections of 1-25 larvae and as 

 closed triangles for collections of 26 or more larvae; records of occurrence of larvae of Gonichthys tenuiculus are 

 shown as open circles with dot; negative hauls are shown as small solid circles. 



ters of larvae occurred in the central water mas- 

 ses of the North and South Pacific. 



Diaphus spp. 



(177 occurrences, 2,433 larvae) 



Larvae of Diaphus rank third in abundance 

 among myctophid genera, exceeded only by 

 Diogetikhthys and Lampanyctns. Although 

 Diaphus larvae were taken in half the collections 



made on ETP II, occurrences and nonoccur- 

 rences tended to be clustered. Almost two-thirds 

 of Diaphus larvae were obtained to the north of 

 lat 10°N on the four outer station lines; these 

 were predominantly larvae of D. pacificus Parr. 

 The largest area of nonoccurrence was off Peru, 

 between lat 5° and 15°S; here Diaphus larvae 

 were absent from 42 consecutive stations, 47.081 

 to 47.197. Larvae of the subgenus Diaphus, 

 which are quite distinctive, made up about 10% 

 of the total. 



1187 



