tropical Pacific. Hygophum and Myctophum ranked higher in 
both Atlantic areas than in the Indian and Pacific areas. 
18. Chlorophthalmidae 
(7 occurrences, 20 larvae) 
Three species of chlorophthalmids occur in this area and larvae 
were found only in or near the Yucatan Channel predominantly in 
the summer. Houde et al. (footnote 4) collected 11 larvae in the 
eastern Gulf of Mexico; Ahlstrom (1971) reported only a few lar- 
vae of this family from the eastern tropical Pacific. 
Identification —I followed Taning (1918) for features at the 
family level. Subfamilial larval identifications have not been done. 
All my specimens closely resembled Taning’s (1918) description 
of C. agassizi. | did not examine the number of vertebrae which in 
part separates the species. 
19. Notosudidae 
(15 occurrences, 23 larvae) 
Two species of this family were collected in this area: 
Scopelosaurus smithii and S. mauli. Bertelsen et al. (1976) found 
specimens of S. smithii and S. mauli commonly in the Caribbean 
Sea. In addition, they found two other species, Ahliesaurus berryi 
and S. argenteus, which did not occur in my samples. Houde et 
al. (footnote 4) collected only two larvae, one of which was S. 
mauli, in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Ahlstrom (1971, 1972) 
found some notosudids in the eastern tropical Pacific in a narrow 
equatorial band. 
Identification.— Bertelsen et al. (1976). 
Anguilliformes (Eel Leptocephali) 
(55 occurrences, 110 leptocephali) 
Eel leptocephali representing eight different families were col- 
lected on both cruises (Table 13). Separate brief accounts are given 
for each family. Nellen (1973) collected 193 leptocephali in the 
western Indian Ocean but did not discuss them. 
Identification —David G. Smith examined and identified all of 
the leptocephali using his methodology (Smith 1979). 
20. Xenocongridae 
(2 occurrences, 2 leptocephalli) 
Two species, Kaupichthys sp. and Robinsia catherinae, were 
taken during the winter cruise (Table 13). Ahlstrom (1971, 1972) 
also found a few larvae of this family in the eastern tropical 
Pacific, although Houde et al. (footnote 4) collected no members 
of this family in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. 
21. Muraenidae 
(19 occurrences, 21 leptocephali) 
Two identified taxa and a few unidentified larvae represented 
this family (Table 13). Gymnothorax spp. were more abundant 
during the winter cruise and were widely distributed in the eastern 
Caribbean. This distribution possibly reflects the abundant 
habitat for moray eels in the Lesser Antilles. Anarchias yoshiae 
leptocephali were taken only in the northwestern Caribbean and 
Straits of Florida in the summer. In the eastern Gulf of Mexico, 
Gymnothorax \eptocephali were abundant, especially in the 
spring, summer, and fall cruises (Houde et al. footnote 4). Four 
A. yoshiae were also collected in the eastern gulf by Houde et al. 
(footnote 4), and Ahlstrom (1971, 1972) found a few leptocephali 
of this family in the eastern tropical Pacific. 
22. Moringuidae 
(4 occurrences, 12 leptocephali) 
Two species were present in these samples— Moringua edwardsi 
was present in both cruises, whereas Neoconger mucronatus was 
found only in the winter cruise. This family was not listed in the 
eastern Gulf of Mexico (Houde et al. footnote 4). Ahlstrom (1971, 
1972) found very few moringuids and only near the coast of the 
eastern tropical Pacific. The Atlantic moringuid leptocephali are 
found widespread in the western Atlantic (Smith and Castle 1972). 
23. Nettastomatidae 
(4 occurrences, 5 leptocephali) 
These few leptocephali were found in widely spaced locations 
on each cruise. Ninety larvae, all identified as Hoplunnis, were 
taken in the eastern Gulf of Mexico (Houde et al. footnote 4); 
Ahlstrom (1971, 1972) found only a few specimens of this family 
in the eastern tropical Pacific. 
24. Congridae 
(25 occurrences, 36 leptocephali) 
This was the most speciose and abundant family of leptocephali 
(Table 13). More larvae were present during the summer than 
winter. These leptocephali are scattered throughout the area, 
although there was an absence from many of the Caribbean Sea 
stations during cruise 7239. I do not believe this represents an 
absence of these animals, but rather a scarcity; few are taken in 
small nets (see Ahlstrom 1971: 33). Congrid eels were the second 
most abundant leptocephali in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, with 
Hildebrandia spp. the most abundant followed by Paraconger 
caudilimbatus (Houde et al. footnote 4). Congrid eels were also 
the most abundant eels in the eastern tropical Pacific (Ahlstrom, 
1971, 1972). 
25. Ophichthidae 
(17 occurrences, 27 leptocephali) 
Snake eel leptocephali were more widely distributed during 
summer (Table 13). These were the most abundant leptocephali 
found in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, most of which were iden- 
tified as Ophichthus spp. (Houde et al. footnote 4). Ahlstrom 
1971, 1972) found these larvae along a broad coastal band in the 
eastern tropical Pacific. 
26. Synaphobranchidae 
(1 occurrence, 1 leptocephalus) 
One leptocephalus of the subfamily Dysomminae was taken 
east of the Lesser Antilles during the summer cruise. Two larvae 
were collected on summer cruises in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. 
The family was not represented in the eastern tropical Pacific 
(Ahlstrom 1971, 1972). 
