on total numbers of larvae. The tables that 

 are common to all years in this report sum- 

 marize occurrence and abundance of larvae 

 by cruise and area. I consider it important 

 to include summaries for all years in the 

 series, even though the basic data for 1951-57 

 have been published, and data for 1958 and 

 1959 will be soon. Copies of most of the 

 earlier data reports are no longer available 

 for distribution. It is also convenient to have 

 the information assembled under one cover. 



Beginning with 1958, numbers of sardine 

 and anchovy larvae are listed by individual 

 station. A combination of these tables and 

 published reports contains individual station 

 data for all years between 1951 and 1964. 



The data in most tables are our final counts 

 derived from measured larvae. For some 

 cruises made in 1963 and 1964, final counts 

 are not available for most stations. When 

 larvae have not been measured (i.e., step 2 

 listed above has been omitted) the sorter's 

 count has been standardized. Standardized 

 sorters' counts are marked with asterisks. 



DISTRIBUTION OF SARDINE EGGS 

 AND LARVAE 



The first aim of the CalCOFI surveys in 

 1949 was to delimit the distribution of sardine 

 eggs and larvae both spatially and temporally. 

 Considerable work had been done previously 

 on the seasonal and areal occurrences of 

 sardine eggs and larvae (Scofield, 1934; Ahl- 

 strom, 1948). Spawning off southern California 

 especially had been studied (Sette and Ahlstrom, 

 1948). Spawning was known to occur off central 

 and northern California and even off Oregon 



(Scofield, 1934; Smith and Ahlstrom, 1948; 

 Ahlstrom, 1948, 1954b). Although sardine eggs 

 and larvae had been sampled off Baja Cali- 

 fornia (Scofield, 1934; Tibby, 1937), neither 

 their total distribution nor abundance was 

 known. Evidence of the importance of the Baja 

 California region for sardine spawning was 

 obtained on a cruise off central Baja Cali- 

 fornia in February 1948 (Ahlstrom, 1954b). 



The CalCOFI surveys showed that sardine 

 eggs and larvae were widely distributed be- 

 tween Point Conception and southern Baja 

 California. In the early years of the surveys 

 more sardine eggs and larvae were obtained 

 off Baja California- -especially off central 

 Baja California- -than off southern California. 

 They occurred throughout the year in some 

 areas (especially off central Baja California) 

 and had a variable season of occurrence in 

 other areas (especially off southern California). 

 As a consequence, monthly survey cruises 

 became the standard procedure of the CalCOFI 

 survey program. 



The CalCOFI surveys also showed that 

 waters off central California (station lines 

 60-77) were an unimportant spawning area for 

 sardines during the 1950's. Eggs or larvae 

 were obtained infrequently, and nunnbers were 

 negligible. There were 16 records of occur- 

 rence of sardine larvae off central California 

 during 1951-64, 1 3 of which were concentrated 

 in the period of warmer-than-average water 

 temperatures in 1957-59 (table 2), 



Cruises in the area north of San Francisco 

 (station lines 40-57) have been infrequent-- 

 only 15 cruises since 1951. No sardine eggs 

 or larvae were taken on any of these cruises. 



The most marked change in distribution of 

 sardine eggs and larvae during the period of 



Table 2. --Sardine larvae--suiTimary of occurrence and abundance by year and area, 1951-64 

 [Station lines given below each area] 



1/ No sardine larvae taken on lines 40-57. 

 2/ Norpac cruise not included. 



