DALLEY and WINTERS: EARLY LIFE HISTORY OF SAND LANCE 



(Table 1), and the spatial distribution of these 

 catches is shown in Figure 2. Sand lance larvae 

 have a fairly wide distribution within and at the 

 mouth of Fortune Bay; however, the incidence of 

 positive catches and the size of the catches were 

 greatest in the area between Miquelon and For- 

 tune, north to Brunette Island. 



The highest and most consistent catches of sand 

 lance larvae were made in June and July, and 

 only two specimens were caught in the August- 

 November period. Yolk-sac larvae were taken 

 only in surveys carried out in February, but 

 larger larvae apparently remained in the water 

 column until July-August at which time it is as- 

 sumed that metamorphosis is complete, and the 

 postlarvae take on a demersal existence. Macer 

 (1966) gave the length of metamorphosis as 30-40 

 mm. Surveys in August of 3 consecutive years 



caught only one larva (43 mm), and surveys later 

 than August caught only a single 82 mm post- 

 larva in December 1980. 



Catches of sand lance larvae from two periods 

 in 1981 illustrate day-night variability in 

 catches, especially at the surface (Table 2). Dur- 

 ing February, 44 stations were fished twice the 

 same day, once during daylight and once after 

 dark using stepped-oblique tows with the RMT-8 

 and surface tows with conical nets. Thirty-two 

 larvae (94%) (mean length of 7.7 mm) were taken 

 in night sets: 2 in oblique tows and 30 in surface 

 tows. Of the two caught during daylight hours, 

 one was in the surface tow and one in the oblique. 



In June, 12 stations were fished using standard 

 oblique tows with bongo nets and horizontal sur- 

 face tows with conical nets during daylight and 

 darkness of the same day. Twenty-five larvae 



Table 1. — List of ichthyoplankton surveys carried out in Fortune Bay. Newfoundland, 1979-83, indicating gear fished, number of stations, 



numbers, and lengtti information of Ammodytes sp. caught. 



IB = BONGO, R - Rf\/IT-8, S - Surface net. 



2Half of sets with each gear type during daylight; half at same station during darkness of same day. 



Table 2. — Numbers of sand lance larvae caught in oblique'' and surface tows during investigations 

 into day-night catch variability, February-June 1981. 



Day 



Night 



'Oblique tow with RMT-8 in February, bongo in June 

 ^Includes 1 set at dusk in which 6 larvae were captured. 



635 



