NOTE Powell et al : Larval and juvenile fishes off North Carolina 



433 



20 -r 



15 



E 10 



I I Bongo Net 

 K%%%3 Frame Trawl 



o 

 o 



'^{ I ( 



CT) 05 0:t O) O) O) 

 ^ OJ CO 't IT) to 

 O O O (D O O 



O) O (J) CT) 0> O^ 

 CJ> 0> O) 



r^ 00 en 



o 

 d 



o o 

 6 d 



00 CT) 





o 

 d 



Length class (mm) 



Figure 3 



Length-frequency distribution of anguilliform leptocephali by 

 gear. 



conger caudilimbatus); Muraenidae (Gymnothorax 

 moringa, G. ocellatus complex); and Ophichthidae 

 (Callechelys muraena, Gordiichthys ergodes, Lethar- 

 chus aliculafus, Ophichthus gomesii, O. melano- 

 porus, O. puncticeps). 



A size series of two demersal species (Bothus sp(p). 

 and Antigonia sp(p). ) was collected with the bongo net 

 and frame trawl (Table 3). Because size of Bothus at 

 metamorphosis is approximately 16-21 mm (Fahay, 

 1983 ), our collections represent a complete size series. 

 Species most likely include B. ocellatus and B. robins! 

 (Robins and Ray, 1986 ), both of which inhabit middle- 

 shelf waters as adults (Schwartz, 1989). The series 

 of antigonids did not include the large pelagic stage 

 (ca. 13-14 mm).^ All the specimens that had devel- 

 oped meristic characters ( ca. 5.0 mm ) were Antigonia 

 capros. On this basis, the smaller specimens might 

 be A. capros, but A. capros and A. combatia exist 

 sympatrically in the western North Atlantic (Berry, 

 1959). 



^ Richards, W. J. 1991. National Marine Fi.sheries Service, 

 Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 75 Virginia drive, Miami. 

 FL 33149. Unpubl. data. 



Hydrography and ichthyoplankton distribution 



A major hydrographic feature observed in SST imag- 

 ery was a large frontal eddy that was propagating 

 northeastward and associated with a Gulf Stream 

 meander crest (Fig. 4). A warm filament of Gulf 

 Stream derived water lay over the shelf and resulted 

 from the cyclonic circulation of the frontal eddy. This 

 filament was bounded inshore by cooler shelf water 

 and separated from the Gulf Stream by cooler water 

 of the frontal eddy. 



Temperature and salinity were in concordance 

 with the SST imagery ( Fig. 5 ). On 15 September 1994 

 (day 1), domed-shaped isotherms and lower salin- 

 ities were observed at station 2 indicating recent 

 upwelling from the passage of the frontal eddy (Fig. 

 4). The warmer and more saline water on the shelf 

 on day-1 <Fig. 5) was consistent with the presence of 

 stranded Gulf Stream water resulting from the fron- 

 tal eddy filament observed on the SST imagery (Fig. 

 4). Associated with this stranded Gulf Stream water 

 on the middle-shelf was a diverse group of larvae 

 that are not known to occur as adults or spawn in 

 middle-shelf waters (Table 4). The frequency occur- 



