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 guantitative ichthyoplankton sampling on 

 CalCOFI surveys. 



Data resulting from CalCOFI surveys in 1968 have been 



published in a number of forms. Hydrographic data (Univ. of 



Calif., SIO, 1971) were presented in a standard format. 

 Distributional maps of larvae of 2 taxa taken on CalCOFI surveys 



during 1968 are presented in the CalCOFI Atlas series: rockfish 



(Sebastes spp.), Ahlstrom et al., 1978; northern anchovy 

 (Engraulis mordax) 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 (Cololabis 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 1968 were subjected to an extensive 

 verification and editing process to produce this report. This 

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

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

 al., 1987a, b; 1988a, b) and subseguent 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 

 subseguent changes in the data base can be compared. 



SAMPLING AREA AND PATTERN 



In 1968, CalCOFI survey cruises were conducted in January, 

 April-May, and June. A total of 319 stations included in the 

 data base was occupied on 3 cruises, with an average of 106 

 stations per cruise (range 59-133). Coverage of the survey 

 station pattern varied among cruises and the entire area was not 

 covered on any single cruise (Figures 1-4, Table 1). Although 

 the area surveyed during 1968 was more extensive than in 1967 

 (258 stations were surveyed in 1967), coverage for these 2 years 

 was considerably less extensive than in other years of the 

 decade. The area off northern California (lines 40-57) was not 

 surveyed in 1968. Stations off central California (lines 60-77) 

 were occupied in January and June (Cruises 6801, 6806) . The area 

 between Pt. Conception, California and Cape Colnett, Baja 

 California (lines 80-103) was surveyed in January and June with 

 coverage extending to line 113 in June. The area off central and 

 southern Baja California (lines 117-140) was surveyed only in 



