SARDINE EGGS AND LARVAE AND 

 OTHER FISH LARVAE. PACIFIC COAST. 1956 



The present report is the seventh in a continuing yearly series. It 

 contains the basic data on quantitative sampling of fish eggs and larvae off 

 the coasts of California and Baja California during 1956. The species repor- 

 ted 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 

 ( Sebastodes spp.). The preceding reports in the series are listed in the 

 bibliography. 



The material was obtained on biological-oceanographic survey cruises 

 made as part of a cooperative program conducted under the California Coopera- 

 tive Oceanic Fisheries Investigations. These investigations 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, 

 by 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. Record of standardized haul factors for oblique hauls made with 



plankton nets during cruises 5601-5612. 1956 



II. Record of sardine eggs, reported by age in days 



III. Record of all hauls containing sardine larvae, reported by si^e 



(in millimeters) 



IV. Record of all hauls containing anchovy larvae, reported by size 



(in millimeters) 



V. Record of all hauls containing jack mackerel larvae, reported by 



size (in millimeters) 



VI. Record of all hauls containing Pacific mackerel larvae, reported 



by size (in millimeters) 



VII. Hake larvae, reported by number per station 



VIII. Rockfish larvae, reported by number per station. 



The above tables of basic data are designated by Roman numerals. A num- 

 ber of text tables are also included in this report; these are designated by 

 Arabic numerals. Following the precedent set in the preceding report, charts 

 are included which give the distribution and abundance in 1956 of each of the 

 above categories, except rockfish. Each section is preceded by a brief des- 

 criptive 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 of 

 the personnel of the South Pacific Fishery Investigations contributed to this 

 project, many devoting their full time to it. David Kramer 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. 



