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. 



Data resulting from CalCOFI surveys in 1954 have been 

 published in a number of forms. Hydrographic data (Reid et al., 

 1965), zooplankton volumes (Staff, SPFI, 1955; Thrailkill, 1956; 

 Smith, 1971) and ichthyoplankton data for selected species 

 (Ahlstrom and Kramer, 1956) were presented in standard formats. 

 The latter lists counts for eggs and larvae of sardine and for 

 larvae of northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) , jack mackerel 

 (Trachurus symmetricus) , Pacific mackerel {Scomber japonicus) , 

 Pacific hake {Merluccius productus) , and rockfishes {Sebastes 

 spp.). Also, length frequencies are listed for sardine, anchovy, 

 jack mackerel, and Pacific mackerel larvae. Distribution maps of 

 larvae of 5 of these taxa taken on CalCOFI surveys during 1954 

 are presented in the CalCOFI Atlas series (Kramer and Ahlstrom, 

 1968; Ahlstrom, 1969; Kramer, 1970; Ahlstrom et al . , 1978). 



A computer data base for eggs and larvae of sardine and 

 anchovy and for larvae of hake, and the two mackerels was 

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

 fish lairvae 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 1954 were subjected to an extensive 

 verification and editing process to produce this report. This, 

 and previous (Ambrose et al., 1987; Sandknop et al., 1987; 

 Stevens et al., 1987) 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 1954, CalCOFI survey cruises were conducted at monthly 

 intervals, except during September and November. A total of 14 73 

 stations included in this data base w^s occupied on 10 cruises, 

 with an average of 147 stations per cruise (range of 105-209) , 

 Coverage of the survey station pattern varied among 

 cruises and the entire quarter-million square mile survey area 

 was not covered on any single cruise (Figures 1-11; Table 1) . 

 The area off northern California (lines 50-57) was covered on 

 only one cruise made in June. The area off central California 

 (lines 60-73) was occupied monthly from April through August. On 

 line 77 only stations 50 and 55 were occupied in January through 



