/ of 2 

 STATION:^^.i^ 



measur er:'? \^.-,Je^Ki?a/^ TOTAL LARVAE : Q/_X^ D'S-^ (^ 



Jj^ 



Figure 26. — Plankton sorter's tab- 

 ulation sheets for measuring fish 

 larvae — sample copy of one of two 

 sheets used to measure anchovy lar- 

 vae for station 80.52, cruise 6801, 

 regular mesh (505^). The tabula- 

 tions are made up on two sheets to 

 include lengths of larvae by 0.5-mm 

 sizes from 2.0 to 8.0 and 8.5 to 15.0 m 

 with additional lines for longer lar- 

 vae. At the bottom of the second 

 sheet is a line for tabulating disint- 

 egrated larvae (DIS). 



mercial species, if present, are listed first on 

 the form, then all other OFL's and mycto- 

 phids. The methods of identification in the 

 taxonomy of fish larvae, worked out by E. 

 H. Ahlstrom of our laboratory, are too in- 

 volved to be discussed here. Suffice to say 

 that the larvae of at least 100 families are 

 found in the California Current area. At 

 present, approximately 100 kinds can be 

 identified to species, 40 to genus and the 

 rest to family. Size is an important factor 

 in identification since identifying charac- 

 ters of larvae change with growth. The 

 identifiers can recognize more than 1,000 

 sizes, shapes, pigment patterns, eye forms, 



etc., which characterize individual larvae of 

 the various species. 



During identification the OFL's are checked 

 for overlooked species that are the respon- 

 sibility of the sorters. In most cases of 

 omission, the larvae are in such poor state 

 that it may be impossible for the sorters 

 to have identified them or so poor a state 

 that they could not be identified at all. If 

 identifiable, they are added to the other 

 totals, where appropriate; if not they are 

 put into a disintegrated (DIS) category. 

 All identified fish are returned to one vial. 

 Some, if in excellent condition, may be kept 

 out for further study or the reference file. 



27 



