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 1953 have been 

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

 1965), zooplankton volumes (Staff, SPFI, 1954; Thrailkill, 1956; 

 Smith, 1971) and ichthyoplankton data for selected species 

 (Ahlstrom and Kramer, 1955) 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 larvae of 

 sardine, anchovy, jack mackerel, and Pacific mackerel. 

 Distribution maps of larvae of 5 of these taxa taken on CalCOFI 

 surveys during 1953 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 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 1953 were subjected to an extensive 

 verification and editing process to produce this report. This 

 and previous (Ambrose et al., 1987; Sandknop 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 1953, CalCOFI survey cruises were conducted at monthly 

 intervals. A total of 1429 stations included in this data base 

 was occupied on 12 cruises, with an average of 119 stations per 

 cruise (range of 19-211) . 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 1-13; Table 1). The area off northern California (lines 

 40-57) was not covered in 1953. Off central California (lines 

 60-77) stations were occupied monthly, from April through 

 August. The area between Pt. Conception, California and Pt. 



