encompassed the vertical distribution of sardine eggs and larvae. 

 Wide-ranging joint biological and oceanographic survey cruises 

 were resumed in 1949 with sardine as the focus; however, an 

 increasing interest in other biological components resulted in 

 the deepening of standard tows to 140 m in 1951. This marked the 

 beginning of truly quantitative ichthyoplankton sampling on 

 CalCOFI surveys. 



Some data resulting from CalCOFI surveys in 1978 have been 

 published. Hydrographic data (Univ. of Calif., SIO, 1982, 1986) 

 were presented in standard formats. Distributional maps of 

 northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) larvae taken on CalCOFI 

 surveys during 1978 are presented in the CalCOFI atlas series 

 (Hewitt, 1980) . 



A computer data base for eggs and larvae of sardine and 

 anchovy, for larvae of Pacific hake {Merluccius productus) , jack 

 mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus) and Pacific mackerel {Scomber 

 japonicus), and for eggs of Pacific saury [Cololahis saira) was 

 established in 1969. The development of a data base for other 

 fish larvae is a complex undertaking because competency of 

 identification has evolved steadily over the past 38 years. We 

 began the task of producing a CalCOFI ichthyoplankton data base 

 and associated data report series in 1983. All available 

 original records for 1978 were subjected to an extensive 

 verification and editing process to produce this report. This 

 and previous (Ambrose et al . , 1987a, b,c; 1988a, b,c; Sandknop et 

 al., 1987a, b; 1988a, b,c; Stevens et al., 1987a, b,c; 1988a, b; 

 Sumida et al . , 1987a, b; 1988a, b,c) and subsequent reports make 

 the CalCOFI ichthyoplankton and station data available to all 

 investigators and serve as guides to the computer data base. The 

 data base will be modified when additional errors are discovered 

 and when composite taxa from the earlier years are reidentif ied. 

 These reports are the fundamental reference documents against 

 which subsequent changes in the data base can be compared. 



SAMPLING AREA AND PATTERN 



In 1978, the six CalCOFI survey cruises occupied stations 

 during portions of all months from January to August. A seventh 

 cruise (7712), conducted in November and December of 1977 was 

 included in the 1978 data base. A total of 1241 stations was 

 included in this data base, with an average of 177 stations per 

 cruise (range 93-231) . Coverage of the survey station pattern 

 varied among cruises and the entire survey area was not covered 

 on any single cruise (Figures 1-9, Table 1). The area off 

 northern California (lines 40-57) was not surveyed in 1978. 

 Stations off central California (lines 60-77) were surveyed on 

 all cruises except 7712 (November-December) . The area between 

 Pt. Conception, California and Pt. San Juanico, Baja California 

 (lines 80-137) was surveyed on 7801, 7803, 7807, and 7808. On 

 7712, 7804, and 7805 coverage did not extend south of line 113, 

 off Pt. Canoa. The area off southern Baja California (lines 140- 

 157) was not surveyed in 1978. Coverage extended seaward to 



