presented in Ahlstrom (1948), Kramer et al. (1972), and Smith and 

 Richardson (1977) . 



IDENTIFICATION 



Identification of ichthyoplankton species beyond those 

 separated during the sorting process was carried out by a 

 separate group of specialists. Ontogenetic stages of fishes are 

 inherently difficult to identify and this is further complicated 

 by the large number and diversity of species which contribute to 

 the ichthyoplankton of the California Current region. Most 

 identifications were accomplished by establishing ontogenetic 

 series on the basis of morphology, meristics, and pigmentation 

 and then identifying these series by relating them to known 

 metamorphic, juvenile, or adult stages with overlapping features 

 (Powles and Markle, 1984) . A total of 111 taxa was identified 

 for 1968, with 67 taken to species, 20 to genus, 20 to family, 

 and 4 to order or suborder. Beginning with 1961, larvae in the 

 families Paralepididae and Labridae were identified to genus or 

 species . 



The task of producing a reliable and equitable 

 ichthyoplankton data base required extensive procedures to 

 verify, correct, and edit the original identifications. The 

 primary data source was the original identification sheets (see 

 Kramer et al., 1972, for examples); however, a critical resource 

 used in all phases of this process was the CalCOFI 

 ichthyoplankton collection in which the samples are archived. 

 Throughout the course of CalCOFI ichthyoplankton studies, samples 

 have been identified to the lowest taxon possible. In reviewing 

 these identifications for the data base, our approach has been 

 conservative and we have preserved those identifications and 

 counts which we could confirm, while correcting as many of the 

 errors as possible. After computer entry, taxonomic errors and 

 inconsistencies in the data base were corrected and the most 

 obvious identification errors were corrected. Our current 

 knowledge of ichthyoplankton techniques coupled with a precise 

 understanding of the development of identification competency in 

 the program over the years allowed us to critically judge the 

 historical records. Identifications were changed to different 

 taxa, lumped to a higher taxonomic category, or given a more 

 precise taxonomic name. In some cases, identifications of a 

 taxon were inconsistent among cruises in a year. These records 

 were made equitable by lumping to the higher taxonomic category 

 to avoid biases that could result in quantitative 

 misinterpretations . 



Next, statistical, seasonal, and geographic outliers were 

 identified, employing a series of graphic summaries and listings. 

 Examination of geographic outliers proved to be especially 

 effective because of our accumulated knowledge of species 

 distributions. In the course of examining samples for these 

 outliers, other identification errors were discovered and 

 eventually all taxa were scrutinized to some extent. Lastly, 



