54. Epigonidae 
(35 occurrences, 58 larvae) 
Larvae of this family were abundant and widely distributed 
during both cruises (Table 7). Ahlstrom (1971, 1972), Nellen 
(1973) and Houde et al. (footnote 4) did not list this family. 
Identification.—G.D. Johnson, South Carolina Division of 
Wildlife and Marine Resources, Charleston, S.C. 
55. Chaetodontidae 
(10 occurrences, 13 larvae) 
Larvae of this family were widely distributed during both 
cruises. The larvae collected on cruise 7343 are all possibly Cer- 
tropyge argi based on meristics, and one of two specimens from 
the easternmost station on cruise 7239 is a Chaetodon, also based 
on meristics. The remaining specimens could not be identified 
with certainty below the family level. Houde et al. (footnote 4) 
found only a few larvae of this family in the eastern Gulf of Mex- 
ico; Ahlstrom (1971, 1972) and Nellen (1973) did not report its oc- 
currence in either the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean or western In- 
dian Ocean, respectively. 
Identification — Larvae of chaetodontids closely resemble adults 
in body outline and have the greatly expanded head bones of the 
Tholichthys stage. Meristic characters are useful in separating 
some types at the generic level. 
56. Pomacentridae 
(9 occurrences, 12 larvae) 
Larvae of this family were widely distributed during the sum- 
mer cruise but were found at only two locations during the winter 
cruise (Table 7). Houde et al. (footnote 4) found these larvae to be 
quite abundant but also found fewer larvae on winter cruises. 
Ahlstrom (1971, 1972) did not record this family from the eastern 
tropical Pacific, although Nellen (1973) collected a few larvae in 
the western Indian Ocean. Eggs of this family are demersal but its 
larvae are pelagic. The adults are an important component of 
reefs, and it is surprising that so few larvae were taken. 
Identification — Larvae were not identified below the family level. 
57. Labridae 
(53 occurrences, 233 larvae) 
Larvae of this family ranked in the top 10 in occurrence and 
number on the summer cruise and in the top 15 in both categories 
on the winter cruise. The larvae are widespread throughout the 
area (Fig. 10). Houde et al. (footnote 4) ranked them the 10th 
most abundant larva in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Ahlstrom 
(1971, 1972) found them to be common in the eastern tropical 
Pacific. Nellen (1973) ranked them the 15th most abundant in 
numbers in the western Indian Ocean. These fish are major com- 
ponents of reef communities, and their larvae are major com- 
ponents of the pelagic ichthyoplankton. I had some success in 
identifying these larvae below the familial level and these results 
are given in Table 15. Although six types were not identified to a 
known taxon, this at least gives some indication of the number of 
species and their relative abundances. The distribution of the most 
abundant species, tentatively identifed as Xyrichthys sp. (type A), 
is shown in Figure 11. This species was very abundant during the 
25 
summer cruise, especially in the Yucatan Basin, Yucatan Channel, 
and north of Cuba. During the winter cruise, it was still widely 
distributed, though less abundant. All 19 labrid species known 
from the tropical western Atlantic are widely distributed 
throughout this area. 
Identification.—Several distinct types of larvae of this family were 
discerned using external characters. Examples of the larval types 
were cleared and stained to determine vertebral and fin ray 
counts. These counts were compared with meristic data of adults 
garnered from the literature. These meristic values are presented 
in Table 16. Using the various combinations of precaudal and 
caudal vertebrae with dorsal and anal fin counts, it was possible to 
make specific identification of Halichoeres maculipinna and 
Thalassoma bifasciatum and assign two types to the genus 
Xyrichthys. Overlap of meristic characters prevented identifica- 
tion of the other types. The external characters used were 1) shape 
of the eye, since round normal eyes were found as well as narrow 
eyes with ventral choroid tissue similar to many myctophiform 
larval eyes, and 2) unique pigment distribution. Interestingly, one 
type with narrow eyes, 13 unusual pigment structures resembling 
photophores (concentrated melanophores in a small circular 
organlike structure) abeve the anal fin, a melanophore beneath 
the pectoral base, and a pigmented rectum had meristic characters 
that would refer it to either the labrid Doratonotus megalepis or 
the family Scaridae (see Table 16). Because this type of larva is so 
abundant, I tentatively consider it to be a scarid rather than D. 
megalepis. The other labrid larvae with narrow eyes divide into 
two types. One type has a pigmented rectum, a streak of black 
pigment on the dorsal edge of the caudal peduncle, and eyes less 
narrow than the others although definitely not round. This is my 
type J. The other narrow-eye type lacks pigment entirely, except 
for the eye. This type further subdivides into a slender-body type 
(Xyrichthys type A) and a deep-body type (Xyrichthys type B). 
The remaining types have normal eyes and are characterized as 
follows: 7: bifasciatum have melanophores only between the first 
five dorsal spines and a few erythrophores on the snout and over 
the gut. Halichoeres maculipinna have melanophores on the last 
three dorsal and anal rays and erythrophores on the breast and 
along the dorsal and ventral midline. Type C have melanophores 
only at the anterior end of the dorsal fin and posterior end of the 
anal fin. This type has 20 dorsal fin elements, 16 anal fin elements, 
and 9 plus 16 vertebrae. The remaining types have melanophores 
on the body. Bodianus sp. have dots of melanophores along the 
base of the dorsal fin and a few above the anal fin. Erythrophores 
are distinct on the chin and pectoral fin base. Type K have 
melanophores at the base of the last anal ray and at the base of 
the first dorsal soft ray. Type L have melanophores grouped as 
dots below the dorsal fin base and above the anal fin base and a 
concentration of melanophores at the base of the last dorsal and 
anal fin ray. Neither types J, K, or L were cleared and stained 
because there were so few specimens. 
58. Scaridae 
(75 occurrences, 554 larvae) 
Larvae of this family were widespread and abundant (Fig. 12), 
ranking among the top 10 families in occurrences and numbers. 
Nellen (1973) found few scarids in the western Indian Ocean; 
Ahlstrom (1971, 1972) did not list them for the eastern tropical 
Pacific; and Houde et al. (footnote 4) found them to be common 
in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. 
Identification.— Please refer to the identification remarks for the 
Labridae preceding this family account. 
