over a 4-yr period. In that study, 91 families of fish larvae were 
identified. Most of the collecting was done over the broad con- 
tinental shelf in waters <50 m deep, although some stations were 
sampled in deeper water. The 10 most abundant families were (in 
standardized order of abundance): Clupeidae, Gobiidae, 
Bothidae, Myctophidae, Serranidae, Carangidae, Synodontidae, 
Ophidiidae, Bregmacerotidae, and Labridae. These 10 families 
accounted for 67% of the total number of fish larvae. Differences 
in family composition are probably due to the relative number of 
samples from shallow water where clupeids, synodontids, 
bothids, gobiids, and ophidiids are dominant. 
The other major work on tropical fish larvae is by Nellen (1973) 
who carried out an ichthyoplankton survey during 1964 and 1965 
in the western Indian Ocean, mainly in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, 
and Persian Gulf. He reported on larvae of 100 families, but did 
not identify eels to the family level. This high number of larval 
families is characteristic of the rich diversity of the Indo-Pacific 
region. The 10 most abundant families in order of abundance 
were: Myctophidae, Clupeidae, Gonostomatidae, Pomadasyidae, 
Gobiidae, Carangidae, Bregmacerotidae, Nomeidae, 
Engraulidae, and Serranidae. These 10 families accounted for 
81% of the total number of fish larvae. 
Both similarities and dissimilarities among the four areas are 
striking. Similarities are due to the real lack of differences in fami- 
ly occurrences in the tropical, oceanic, and pelagic realms, 
whereas dissimilarities represent real differences both in family oc- 
currences Over continental shelves and in the oceanographic 
regimes of the four varied areas. 
Neuston Collections 
I did not have sufficient time to identify all specimens collected 
in neuston net tows to the same degree as the bongo material. 
Much of the neuston net material was in such poor condition that, 
although identification was possible, a great amount of time 
would have been necessary to accomplish the task, especially for 
the myctophids and exocoetids. Due to the poor condition of the 
neuston net material, most of it was identified only to the family 
level and to the specific level in some cases (see Table 20). Since 
neuston tows are not quantitative, they cannot be compared 
quantitatively with other calibrated tows; however, they can be 
compared qualitatively since each tow was of approximately the 
same duration and filtered approximately the same volume of 
water. Also, neuston tows sample only nearsurface waters and not 
the complete depth range of many fish larvae. Thus, they yield 
many of those animals that migrate to the surface at night, such as 
myctophids, and those animals which live in nearsurface waters, 
such as exocoetids. 
As expected, exocoetids ranked first in frequency of occurrence 
on both cruises. In numbers, myctophids ranked first on the sum- 
mer cruise and fifth on the winter cruise, whereas mullids ranked 
first in numbers on the winter cruise. I identified a few myc- 
tophids to species, and most were Myctophum represented by M. 
asperum, M. affine, and M. nitidulum. Also common were Cen- 
trobranchus nigrooccellatus and Gonichthys coccoi. Cor- 
yphaenids ranked high in occurrence and in the top 15 in 
numbers. Coryphaena equiselis were more abundant than C. hip- 
purus on the summer cruise, but the opposite was true for the 
winter cruise. Carangids ranked second in occurrence on both 
cruises and in the top 10 in numbers for both cruises. Most of the 
carangids were Caranx, represented by C. crysos, C._ bar- 
tholomaei, C. hippos, C. latus, and C. ruber. Other carangids 
taken on the summer cruise were Elagatis bipinnulata, Selar 
crumenophthalmus, Seriola sp., and Trachinotus falcatus. On the 
winter cruise a few specimens of Se/ene vomer and Naucrates duc- 
tor were identified. Balistids ranked in the top 15 in occurrence 
and numbers on both cruises, which is indicative of the nearsur- 
face habits of their young. Likewise, Dacty/opterus volitans rank- 
ed in the top 10 in occurrence and numbers on both cruises. 
Scombrids ranked high in numbers and occurrence on the sum- 
mer cruises; but their high numbers on the winter cruise were due 
only to one large collection of Auwxis off the Venezuelan coast. 
Istiophorids and Xiphias .gladius were prominent due to their 
presence in the surface water. A large number of eel leptocephali 
were collected on the summer cruise and about 200 were iden- 
tified: 185 of these were the congrid, Ariosoima; others were 
muraenids, mostly Gymnothorax, and ophichthids, mostly Ahiia. 
Of the 58 families identified from the neuston collections, only 
the Scomberesocidae, Belonidae, Hemiramphidae, Berycidae, 
Mugilidae, Pomadasyidae, Sparidae, Lobotidae, and perhaps the 
Antennariidae were represented in the bongo collections. Except 
for the berycids, pomadasyids, and sparids, these other families 
are noted for their nearsurface habits or association with floating 
objects. The mullids are another family in which the young 
juveniles occur at the surface before seeking bottom habitats, and 
this family ranked in the top 10 in occurrence and numbers and 
first in numbers during the winter cruise. The Mugilidae also have 
Oceanic pelagic young stages and were highly ranked in both 
numbers and occurrence. 
The neuston net is a good tool for collecting larvae of certain 
life history stages and also gives a qualitative assessment of those 
larval groups with specialized nearsurface habits. It is an excellent 
supplement to bongo tows because it adds another perspective to 
our knowledge o1 the kinds and abundances of fish larvae. 
FAMILY ACCOUNTS 
1. Elopidae 
(3 occurrences, 3 larvae) 
Larvae of two species of elopids were collected. Two specimens 
of Elops saurus were collected at two stations during cruise 7239, 
and one specimen of Megalops atlanticus . as obtained during 
cruise 7343. Adults of these species are common throughout the 
area but are confined to inshore areas. However, their larvae are 
found in oceanic waters as evidenced by these data. Ahlstrom 
(1971, 1972) did not record any larval members of this family 
from the eastern tropical Pacific, but Houde et al. (footnote 4) 
obtained five M. atlanticus larvae and one FE. saurus larva from 
the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Eldred and Lyons (1966) reported £. 
saurus larvae from the Gulf of Mexico, also. Nellen (1973) record- 
ed one Elops sp. larva from tropical waters of the western Indian 
Ocean. 
Identification.—Several larval descriptions have been published; 
the most recent and comprehensive is by Smith (1979). 
2. Clupeidae 
(6 occurrences, 24 larvae) 
Larvae of three species of clupeids were obtained: E/rumeus 
teres during cruise 7343 at one station along the coast of 
Venezuela; Opisthonema sp. at three locations during cruise 7239 
and at one location during cruise 7343; and Harengula sp. co- 
located with Opisthonema during cruise 7239 and at one other 
station on the north coast of Cuba during the same cruise. Larvae 
