SARDINE EGGS AND LARVAE AND 

 OTHER FISH LARVAE, PACIFIC COAST, 1955 



This report, the sixth in a continuing yearly series, contains the 

 results of quantitative sampling of fish eggs and larvae off the coasts 

 of California and Baja California during 1955. The species reported upon 

 are the following: Pacific sardine ( Sardinops caerulea ). northern anchovy 

 ( Enqraulis mordax ). jack mackerel ( Trachurus symmetricus ). Pacific mackerel 

 ( Pneumatophorus dieqo ). hake ( Merluccius productus ). and rockfish ( Sebas - 

 todes spp.). The preceding reports in the series are listed in the bibli- 

 ography. 



The fish eggs and larvae were obtained in quantitative plankton hauls 

 taken on biological-oceanographic cruises by agencies participating in 

 the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations, The investi- 

 gations are sponsored by the California Marine Research Committee and are 

 carried out cooperatively by the South Pacific Fishery Investigations of 

 the U. S, Fish and Wildlife Service, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography 

 of the University of California, the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford 

 University, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the California 

 Academy of Sciences. 



As in previous reports, the data are presented in eight tables: 



I. Standardized haul factors for plankton hauls taken on regular 



survey cruises during 1955 



II. Sardine eggs, reported by age 



III. Sardine larvae, reported by size 



IV. Anchovy larvae, reported by size 



V. Jack mackerel larvae, reported by size 



VI. Pacific mackerel larvae, reported by size 



VII. Hake larvae 



VIII. Rockfish larvae. 



The eight tables of basic data are designated by Roman numerals. A 

 number of text tables are also included in this report: these are desig- 

 nated by Arabic numerals. An innovation in the present report is the in- 

 clusion of charts showing the distribution and abundance in 1955 of each of 

 the above categories, except rockfish. Each section is also preceded by a 

 brief descriptive account. 



It is with deep pleasure that we acknowledge the cooperation given by 

 the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the collection of data at sea. 

 Most personnel of the South Pacific Fishery Investigations contributed to 

 this project, many devoting their full time to it. Robert Counts and Lois 

 Hunter aided in the identifications, enumerations and measurements; James 

 Thrailkill supervised the separation of fish eggs and larvae from plankton 

 collections, and also prepared the charts included in this report. 



