FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 87, NO. 3, 1989 



Paralichthys californicus 



Two hundred and nine larval California halibut 

 were examined from samples collected between 

 September 1978 and February 1979, and in 

 August and September 1979 (Table 1). Most 

 larvae (89%) were Pr stage. The overall 28% 

 feeding incidence was comparable to the 22% 

 nighttime incidence noted in the day/night sam- 

 ple set. Although the feeding incidence for the 

 Pr larvae was nearly 70% higher than that of the 

 FP larvae (29.5 ± 6.9% vs. 17.4 ± 17.7%), it was 

 well within the 95% confidence limits about the 

 FP value. The Pr larvae displayed a higher feed- 

 ing incidence in the most nearshore block, but 

 only the confidence limits about the %'FI values 

 for the most nearshore and seaward blocks failed 

 to overlap (block A: 70.0 ± 33.4%; block E: 11.5 

 ± 14.2%). The highest feeding incidence for the 

 FP larvae occurred in the 45-75 m depth block, 

 but all confidence limits broadly overlapped ow- 

 ing to the small sample sizes (Table 3). Among 

 the FP larvae, all four specimens that contained 

 food were collected in midwater. Pr larvae in the 

 nearshore blocks typically contained more prey 

 items per individual than did larvae in the most 



offshore blocks (Table 6). 



Larval California halibut consumed few types 

 of prey. Bivalve veligers, Euterpina acutifrons 

 nauplii, the tintinnid genus Stenosojnella, and 

 unidentified material (including unidentified in- 

 vertebrate eggs, and setae — presumably from 

 polychaete larvae) accounted for most of the 

 diet of the Pr larvae (Table 6). Young larvae 

 consumed a narrower range of prey types near 

 shore than they did farther seaward. Most of 

 the diet near shore was composed of Stenoso- 

 mella spp. , while seaward of the 12 m isobath, 

 Euterpina acutifrons nauplii, unidentified 

 material, and bivalve veligers constituted the 

 bulk of the diet. The few FP larvae with gut 

 contents contained only unidentifiable material 

 (Table 6). 



Paralabrax spp. 



Due to the difficulty and uncertainty in sepa- 

 rating larval kelp and sand basses, identification 

 was only to the level of genus. A total of 135 

 larval Paralabrax spp. were examined from 

 samples collected between September and 

 November 1978 and between July and Septem- 



Table 6. — Diet of larval Paralichthys californicus. Results for preflexion stage larvae are given above; those for the 

 column strata are N = neuston; M = midwater; E = epibenthos. %N = the percent of the total food items attributable to 

 listed as prey species include both copepodites and adults. 



576 



