of E. teres are abundant in the Gulf of Mexico between 30 and 
100 m depths (Houde et al. footnote 4). Their single occurrence in 
my collections may be explained, in part, by the paucity of con- 
tinental shelf samples. Etrumeus teres was found at the station 
(station 104) richest in numbers of larvae encountered on either 
cruise. This station is located in the Gulf of Cariaco in a 
biologically rich area of substantial coastal upwelling, and will be 
referred to in several other accounts. Two species of Opisthonema 
are known from this area with O. oglinum being by far the most 
common. Opisthonema captivae is known only from the coastal 
waters of Venezuela and Columbia and may be the species obtain- 
ed on cruise 7343. The three records of Opisthonema from cruise 
7239 are probably O. oglinum, since records of adults are known 
from the Antilles and Jamaica (Wagner 1974). Interestingly, 
Wagner (1974) did not find many Opisthonema from the north- 
eastern Caribbean area where larvae were taken, but rather from 
southeastern Caribbean. Several species of Harengula are found 
throughout the Caribbean area and, like the other clupeids, are 
coastal species. Clupeids are not as abundant in the Caribbean 
area as they are in the Gulf of Mexico and off the southeast coast 
of the United States (Klima 1976). 
In the eastern tropical Pacific, Ahlstrom (1971,1972) also found 
three clupeid species, associated either with islands or coastal 
areas, similar to my results. Houde et al. (footnote 4) obtained a 
great number of clupeids, the most abundant larvae found in the 
eastern Gulf of Mexico. Nellen (1973) obtained many clupeids in 
the western Indian Ocean. 
Identification.—Identification was based on Houde and Fore 
(1973), Houde et al. (1974), and Richards et al. (1974). 
3. Engraulidae 
(8 occurrences, 60 larvae) 
Anchovy larvae were abundant only at the two coastal stations 
north of Venezuela during cruise 7343. Two of the stations having 
the greater numbers of larvae were situated in this area of upwell- 
ing. Anchovies were found at three stations during cruise 7239 
and at three additional stations during cruise 7343, with only one 
or two larvae per station. Ahlstrom (1971, 1972) found high 
numbers of anchovies at his coastal stations in the eastern tropical 
Pacific; Houde et al. (footnote 4) found engraulids to be the 12th 
most common family in the eastern Gulf of Mexico; Nellen (1973) 
commonly found them in the western Indian Ocean. 
Identification. —No attempt was made to identify these larvae to 
species because generic and specific identifications have been 
worked out for only a few taxa of this speciose family. 
4. Argentinidae 
(2 occurrences, 2 larvae) 
One Argentinidae larva was found on each cruise, and the one 
collected during cruise 7343 was tentatively identified as 
Microstoma sp. Houde et al. (footnote 4) found few argentinid 
larvae in the Gulf of Mexico; Nellen (1973) did not report them in 
the western tropical Indian Ocean; Ahlstrom (1971, 1972) record- 
ed them in the eastern tropical Pacific. 
5. Bathylagidae 
(8 occurrences, 14 larvae) 
Bathylagids were found in scattered locations in the Caribbean 
Sea and east of the Antilles and were slightly more common than 
the related argentinids. Houde et al. (footnote 4) found only 11 
larvae in the eastern Gulf of Mexico; Nellen (1973) found very few 
in the tropical western Indian Ocean; Ahlstrom (1971, 1972) 
found abundances of two species in the eastern tropical Pacific. 
6. Gonostomatidae 
(107 occurrences, 1,368 larvae) 
Gonostomatids were the second most abundant group of larvae 
taken. A comparison of the occurrences and numbers of larvae 
are given in Table 8. I followed Ahlstrom (1974) in combining the 
sternoptychids with the gonostomatids in the Family 
Gonostomatidae. The gonostomatines were the most common, 
especially the genera Cyclothone, Gonostoma, and Vinciguerria. 
Gonostomatids were very abundant in the eastern tropical Pacific 
(Ahlstrom 1971, 1972), eastern Gulf of Mexico (Houde et al. 
footnote 4), and western tropical Indian Ocean (Nellen 1973). 
Cyclothone spp. (98 occurrences, 490 larvae).—Cyclothone lar- 
vae were present at every station during cruise 7343 and at 83% of 
the stations of cruise 7239 (Fig. 2). Of the 53 stations on cruise 
7239, all but seven had fewer than 10 larvae; of the 45 stations of 
cruise 7343, all but two had fewer than 10 larvae. These larvae are 
ubiquitous but not especially abundant. Houde et al. (footnote 4) 
found these larvae to be the second most abundant gonostomatid 
species in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Ahlstrom (1971, 1972) 
also found these to be second in abundance in the eastern tropical 
Pacific. 
Identification.—Grey (1964). 
Pollichthys mauli (56 occurrences, 169 larvae).—The distribu- 
tion of this species is shown in Figure 3. As with G. e/ongatum, P. 
mauli was more abundant during the summer and is found 
throughout the area. Houde et al. (footnote 4) found a few larvae 
(some identified as Polymetme type I) at his offshore stations. 
This species is found only in the Atlantic. 
Identification.—This species has been identified by Ozawa (1976). 
I originally suspected that these larvae were Po/ymetme which has 
similar meristics. Po/ymetme larvae are still unknown since 
Ahlstrom (1974:664) was referring to these Pollichthys specimens. 
Gonostoma elongatum (63 occurrences, 209 larvae).—This 
species was five times more abundant in the summer months than 
in the winter and was found throughout the area. It is the most 
abundant gonostomatid species, considering that Cyclothone is 
composed of more than one species. Houde et al. (footnote 4) 
found this species to be common at his offshore stations in the 
eastern Gulf of Mexico. Ahlstrom (1971, 1972) found a few lar- 
vae, most at his southernmost stations off Peru. 
Identification.—Ahlstrom (1974). 
