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        NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120                                                  June 1994


                      Abundance and Distribution of
                      Ichthyoplankton along an
                      Inshore-Offshore Transect in
                      Onslow Bay, North Carolina



                      Allyn B. Powell
                      Roger E. Robbins























           SH11            U.S. Department of Commerce
           .A44672         
           no.120     









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                                  NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120
                                  A Technical Report of the Fisheiy Bulletin


                                  Abundance and Distribution of
                                  Ichthyoplankton along an
                                  Inshore-Offshore Transect in
                                  Onslow Bay, North Carolina



                                  Allyn B. Powell
                                  Roger E. Robbins




                                  June 1994



















                                  U.S. Department of Commerce
                                  Seattle, Washington






                                            LIBRARY
                                          NOAA/CCEB
                                       1990 HOBSON AVE.
                                     CHAS. SC 29408-2623








                            Abundance And Distribution Of Ichthyoplankton along an
                            Inshore-Offshore Transect In Onslow Bay, North Carolina


                                                    ALLYN B. POWELL and ROGER E. ROBBINS



                                                                 National Marine Fisheries Service,
                                                          Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAAINMFS
                                                                        Beaufort Laborato?y
                                                                  Beaufort, North Carolina 28516


                                                                          ABSTRACT


                                      The distribution and abundance of ichthyoplankton was investigated from November
                                    1979 to March 1980 along a transect from coastal to continental slope waters in Onslow Bay,
                                    North Carolina. Representatives of 66 families were collected; 24 of which were tropical
                                    families, a category that also includes families of typically oceanic and deep-sea fishes.
                                    Larvae of tropical species were collected in coastal and shelf waters, demonstrating the
                                    intrusion of Gulf Stream waters onto the continental shelf. From December through March,
                                    frontal waters that separated cold open-shelf surface waters from warm Gulf Stream surface
                                    waters were observed. Higher abundances of fish larvae were sometimes, but not consis-
                                    tently, associated with frontal waters. A great diversity of taxa was collected in offshore
                                    waters, and densities of larvae were low in coastal waters; low densities were attributed to
                                    gear selectivity rather than low larval abundance. Larvae of commercially and recreationally
                                    important estuarine-depen dent species, especially Leiostomus xanthurus and Micropogonias
                                    undulatus, were dominant components of the ichthyoplankton. Representatives of the
                                    families Bothidae, Clupeidae, Gadidae, Gonostomatidae, Myctophidae, Ophidiidae, and
                                    Sparidae were also important components of the ichthyoplankton. Larvae of species repre-
                                    senting two strikingly different life history types-mesopetagic and estuarine-dependent-
                                    frequently cooccurred.





                 Introduction                                                          The objective of our study was to measure the abun-
                                                                                     dance of all ichthyoplankton taxa taken along an in-
                 Recently in April 1990 the National Marine Fisheries                shore to offshore transect in Onslow Bay, North Caro-
                 Service (NMFS), Beaufort Laboratory, initiated a reef               lina, from late fall 1979 through early spring 1980. This
                 fish recruitment study emphasizing recruitment on hard              information was used (1) to determine the kinds and
                 bottoms in Onslow Bay, North Carolina. One objective                abundance of reef fish larvae, (2) to provide basic infor-
                 of that study was to examine historical samples for the             mation for projects like SABRE on the composition and
                 presence of reef fishes, particularly gag, Mycteroperca             abundance of fish larvae relative to distance from shore
                 microlepis, and red porgy, Pagrus pagrus, that appear to            in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, from late fall to early
                 spawn during winter months (Manooch, 1976; Collins                  spring, and (3) to examine the composition and abun-
                 et al., 1987). In addition, the National Oceanic and                dance of ichthyoplankton in relation to a thermal front
                 Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Ocean                     that separates warm Gulf Stream waters from cooler con ti-
                 Program (COP) recently (1991) initiated a South At-                 nental shelf waters. A detailed account of the age and size,
                 lantic Bight Recruitment Experiment (SABRE) study                   relative to distance from shore, of Micropogonias undulatus,
                 centered in Onslow Bay, North Carolina. The SABRE                   Leiostomus xanthurus, and Brevoortia tyrannus collected dur-
                 study focuses on recruitment processes for estuarine-               ing this study has been given by Warlen (1982), Warlen
                 dependent fishes spawned in fall and winter.                        and Chester (1985), and Warlen (1992), respectively.

                                                                                                                                                  I








           2      NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120

           Methods                                                           anic Fisheries Investigations (CALCOFI) techniques
                                                                             (Smith and Richardson, 1977). At the shallow stations
           The RV John deWolf II, a 19-m steel long-liner converted          11 and 12, nets were towed I m below the surface for
           for oceanographic work, was used on all cruises. One              approximately 5 minutes.
           transect, consisting of eight stations (11-18) from in-             Larvae from one net were preserved in 5% buffered
           shore to offshore (Fig. 1), was sampled monthly from              formalin; larvae from the other, in 70% ethyl alcohol  
           November 1979 to March 1980. Ichthyoplankton was                  Catches were standardized to number of larvae/100
           sampled with a 60-cm bongo sampler with 505-um nets               M3. Catches from duplicate tows, when taken, were
           except in February, when 333-Wednesday, 04 April, 200105:53:11 PMum mesh nets were used.              averaged arithmetically.  Surface temperature weas re-
           A flowmeter mounted in the center of each net mouth               corded at each station. Isotherms depicted in Figure 2
           was used to estimate the volume of water filtered. Ex-            were interpolated from station data.
           cept for the shallow stations 11 and 12, nets were towed            Taxa were classified by range and habitat of adults, to
           obliquely using standard California Cooperative Oce-              allow comparisons between the following habitat groups:


                                    
                                                                      













                                                                   Figure 1
                                Location of sampling sites in Onslow Bay, North Carolina. Values in parentheses
                                indicate depth (m).







                                                                 Powell and Robbins: Ichthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina                 3


                 (1) estuarine dependent-species that spawn in coastal                information from Robins and Ray (1986), and specific
                 and shelf waters but that generally reside in estuaries              distributional information on carapids from Olney and
                 during their juvenile stage; (2) coastal-species that                Markle (1979) and on stromateoids from Ahlstrom et
                 commonly inhabit depths down to 18 m; (3) open                       al. (1976) were used to classify taxa.
                 shelf-species that commonly inhabit depths of 18-                      Stations were classified by four general habitat types
                 65 m; (4) shelf edge-species that commonly inhabit                   following Struhsaker's (1969) classification: (1) coastal
                 depths of 65-132 m; (5) lower shelf-species that com-                habitat, stations I I and 12; (2) open-shelf habitat, stations
                 monly inhabit depths of 132-185 m; and (6) "tropical'@--             13-16; (3) lower-shelf habitat, station 17; and (4) slope
                 subtropical and tropical species, as well as oceanic,                habitat, station 18. Because open-shelf habitat covers a
                 mesopelagic, and deep-sea species, whose occurrence                  wide area, we considered stations close to coastal habitat
                 on North Carolina's continental shelf was most likely                as inner open-shelf (e.g. 13 and 14) and stations close to
                 caused by transport by Gulf Stream intrusions. For con-              lower-shelf habitat as outer open-shelf (e.g. 15 and 16).
                 venience, species of this latter group will be referred to           Supplemental habitat descriptions were included from
                 as "tropical" species. A list of 685 species inhabiting              Schwartz (1989) and Robins and Ray (1986).
                 North Carolina marine waters is given by Schwartz                      When evaluating the contribution of individual taxa
                 (1989). Schwartz's classification, general distributional            in terms of density, we used five larvae/100 m, (i.e.



                                          STATION




                                                       ,C)
                                NOV      -M!-P-ERAT@LR-E(


                                       TOTAL LARVAE                          3.1       ND
                                         PER 100 M3



                                                                             q
                                                     (0c)                                      C4
                               DEC                                                     ---- IVL






                                                     (0c)
                               JAN
                                                        10.4                                                                E@l


                                                              9        q     qqqqq 9        R q       q        q
                                                              co       Cb    0- em 0) V In  0 N                CD
                               FEB                   VC)   -- I --           117=-                             7
                                                       E@        E@

                                                    (00
                              MAR
                                                                                               L

                                                   i
                                                       C)








                                                       E@]       E@]       E@@

                                                                                Figure 2
                            Total larvae (number/ 100 m3    ) and sea surface temperatures during November-March along a transect
                            from coastal to Gulf Stream waters in Onslow Bay, North Carolina. ND = no data collected.







            4      NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120


            4.5 larvae/100 m3  ) as the criterion to separate abun-             15) were lower than the mean values calculated for
            dant from less abundant. Identifying larvae to species              these stations over the entire study period, whereas the
            level resulted in the tentative identification of certain           highest value occurred in warmer Gulf Stream waters
            taxa. For example, six species of the gadid genus                   over the continental slope (Fig. 2). During January,
            Urophycis reportedly occur in North Carolina waters                 abundances were high in the vicinity of the front (sta-
            (Schwartz, 1989; Comyns and Grant, 1993). Pigmenta-                 tions 13-15), but lack of samples at offshore stations
            tion patterns of three of these (U. regia, U. chuss, and U.         would not allow proper evaluation of larval fish abun-
            chesteri) have been described (Fahay 1983; Methven,                 dance relative to frontal waters (Fig. 2). During Febru-
            1985), but small specimens (<10 min SL) of U. chesteri              ary, high abundances were associated with frontal wa-
            and U. chuss, which may occur in our study area, cannot             ters (stations 14-15), but values at the shoreward side
            be separated. We identified, when possible, two types of            of the front did not appear unusually high (Fig. 2).
            Urophycis, U. regia and U. floridiana, on the basis of the          Similarly in March, high abundances were observed at
            absence (U. regia) or presence (U. floridiana) of pelvic-           the ocean side of the front, but low abundances were
            fin pigment (Comyns and Grant, 1993); however, other                observed at the shoreward edge (Fig. 2). However, in
            Urophycis spp. that resemble them may also have been                general, areas that had the overall highest densities of
            caught. A similar case occurred for the families Mycto-             fish larvae were associated with the thermal front.
            phidae and Bothidae. Identifications of myctophids were
            based on criteria following Fahay (1983). For the
            Bothidae, not all species of the genera Etrapus and                 Diversity of Families
            Citharichthys have been described in detail (i.e. Erimosus
            and C macrops) (Tucker, 1982) so species identification             There was a greater diversity of families at offshore
            of larvae of these genera should be considered tenta-               stations (14-18) than onshore stations (11-13) (Table
            tive. Unidentified Paralichthys are most likely P. lethostigma      1). Collections in coastal waters (stations 11-12), where
            or P. albigutta because larvae of these two species can-            densities of fish larvae were low (Fig. 2), contained a
            not be separated from one another until meristic char-              consistently low diversity of families (Table 1). On the
            acters (e.g. anal-fin rays) are developed, whereas P.               other hand, collections at the lower-shelf and slope
            dentatus can be readily separated. A complete list of               habitats contained a high diversity of families, but very
            larval abundance by cruise and station is given in Ap-              few families were abundant (Table 1). For example, at
            pendix Tables 1-5. Larval material is deposited at the              station 17 during December, 35 families were identi-
            Beaufort Laboratory under the care of the senior author.            fied, but none were collected at densities @! five larvae/
                                                                                100 in 3.


            Results                                                             Distribution and Relative Abundance of
                                                                                Selected Taxa
            Total Abundance
                                                                                The families Bothidae, Clupeidae, Gadidae, Gonosto-
            Representatives of 66 families, including representa-               matidae, Myctophidae, Ophidiidae, Sciaenidae, and
            tives of 24 "tropical" families, were collected (Appendix           Sparidae were important components of the
            Tables 1-5). The greatest abundance of fish larvae dur-             ichthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, given
            ing late fall to early spring appeared at open-shelf (sta-          they were among the five most abundant families (with
            tions 14-16), lower-shelf (station 17), and slope (sta-               10 larvae/ 100 in 3) in at least one cruise (Table 2).
            tion 18) locations (Fig. 2). Although there was a con-
            siderable degree of variability, larvae over the entire             Sciaenidae-Only two species of sciaenids (Leiostomus
            study period were most abundant at open shelf stations              xanthurus and Micropogonias undulatus) were collected
            14 and 15 and were least abundant at coastal stations 11            and they dominated collections during late fall and
            and 12.                                                             winter (Table 1). These larval sciaenids were most abun-
              A thermal front, as defined by the greatest difference            dant at open-shelf habitat stations and least abundant
            in surface water temperatures that separated cool coastal           at coastal habitat stations (Table 1). On one occasion
            waters from warm Gulf Stream waters, was usually present            (December), a large number of larvae of these species
            on the shelf during sampling. Frontal waters were gen-              were collected in slope habitat waters well inside the
            erally, but not consistently, associated with high larval           Gulf Stream (Table 1, Fig. 2). Micropogonias undulatus,
            densities (Fig. 2). During November sampling, a ther-               which intensively spawns in the study area from late
            mal front was not observed. During December, larval                 September through November (Warlen, 1982), was the
            fish abundances associated with the front (stations 13-             most abundant estuarine-dependent species during


































                                               ERRATA


                   for publication entitled: "Abundance and distribution of. ichthyoplankton along
                                              an inshore-offshore transect in Onslow Bay,
                                              North Carolina"


                   by: Allyn B. Powell and.Roger E. Robbins

                   Reference: NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120 (June 1994) 28 p.


                   page 6, Table 2:

                   Under Column "Nov" and opposite family name Bothidae, numeral should

                   be 13.2, NOT 3.2







                                                                             Powell and Robbins: Ichthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina                         5



                                                                                            Table I
                           The most abundant families collected in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, by month and station. Values are numbers/
                           IOOM2'. Blank spaces indicate that larvae occurred at densities < 4.5/100 M3. Dashes indicate no samples were taken.

                                                                                                         Station


                           Family                      11               12           13                14           15              16              17             18


                                                                                            November

                           Bothidae                                                                               11.5
                           Clupeidae                                                                                6.3
                           Sciaenidae                                                                             273.1           60.2
                           Triglidae                                                                                                8.1

                           Total number
                             of families                1               2               1                           13              10                             -


                                                                                            December

                           Bothidae                                   5.4          17.5                                             5.8                            4.8
                           Carangidae                                                                                               6.6                            5.1
                           Centriscidae                                                                                             7.0
                           Engraulidae                4.7
                           Gadidae                                                                 27.1
                           Gonostomatidae                                                                                         11.2
                           Myctophidae                                                                              7.0           11.0
                           Ophidiidae                                                                  6.1
                           Sciaenidae                                              10.2                4.6                          8.4                           51.4
                           Triglidae                                                                   8.0

                           Total number
                             of families                3               4               3              9               3            18              a5             23


                                                                                             January
                           Bothidae                                                                24.8           15.3              7.3
                           Clupeidae                                               22.2            14.6             5.2             9.6
                           Gadidae                                                   9.8           18.8           15.4              6.0
                           Ophichthidae                                                                5.4
                           Photichthyidae                                                                                           4.9
                           Sciaenidae                                                             139.8           15.5              4.8
                           Sparidae                                                                    7.7        78.1              8.7

                           Total number
                             of families                7               1               4              11           17              15


                                                                                            February
                           Bothidae                                                                30.1           42.3            19.0
                           Carangidae                                                                               4.5
                           Clupeidae                                                 8.4               8.2        37.8                                            13.4
                           Gadidae                                                   5.0           10.4           27.6            22.1             6.5             6.2
                           Gobiidae                                                                                 4.7
                           Myctophidae                                               6.8.              8.9
                           Ophidiidae                                                                  4.7        11.5
                           Sciaenidae                                              13.5            45.2           23.0
                           Scorpaenidae                                                                                             6.7                            6.4
                           Serranidae                                                                  4.5
                           Sparidae                                                                               21.8
                           Synodontidae                                                                5.1
                           Triglidae                                                                                5.1

                           Total number
                             of families                1               6            11                25           30              19              19             27







        6        NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120



                                                                      Table I (Continued)


                                                                                         Station


           Family                     11               12             13              14              15             16               17             18


                                                                               March
           Bothidae                                                   10.5            10.1          18.9             9.6
           Clupeidae                                                  19.3                          22.3            22.7            27.5           13.0
           Cynoglossidae                                                              21.8
           Gadidae                                                    5.5             4.8           47.8             6.3
           Myctophidae                                                                5.7                                            8.6
           Ophidiidae                                                 5.4                           30.5
           Sciaenidae                                                                 14.3          15.3
           Serranidae                                                 5.0                           11.4             5.5
           Sparidae                                                                                   8.8
           Stromateidae                                                                               5.9
           Synodontidae                                                               8.0
           Total number
             of families                0               2             11              10              19             21               18             15


                                      Table 2                                         November;       from December through February, L.
           Total abundances (numbers/100 m3 summed over                               xanthuras was the dominant estuarine-dependent spe-
           all stations) of the most abundant families collected                      cies (Table 3).
           in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, from November 1979
           through March 1980. Blank spaces indicate that lar-                        Bothidae-Bothids were abundant throughout the study
           vae occurred at densities < 4.5 larvae/100 m3.                             period (Table 2). They were most abundant in open-
                                                                                      shelf waters and rarely were collected in coastal, lower-
                                                   Month                              shelf, and slope habitat waters (Table 1). The most
           Family                  Nov     Dec      Jan       Feb     Mar             commonly collected bothids were of the genera Etropus,
                                                                                      Citha,richthys, and Paralichthys (Table 4). Of the genus
           Ariommatidae                     4.7                                       Paralichthys, three estuarine-dependent species were
           Balistidae                       5.7                                       most abundant: P. albigutta, P. dentatus, and P. lethostigmw'
           Bothidae                3.2     37.8     48.0     101.2    54.9            P. squamilentus was rarely collected (Table 4). Paralichthys
           Callionymidae                    4.6                                       larvae were most abundant in open-shelf waters but
           Carangidae                      13.5                5.1      9.8           were not collected in November. Paralichthys albigutta
           Centriscidae                     7.4                                       and R lethostigma were first collected in December.
           Clupeidae               7.2      6.6     56.0      75.2    100.7           During February, all three species were abundant in
           Cynoglossidae                                       6.0    26.8            open-shelf waters that were on the Gulf Stream edge of
           Engraulidae             5.9      6.3                4.8                    the thermal front (Table 4, Fig. 2). Paralichthys sp. (ei-
           Gadidae                         28.0     50.0      79.3    64.4            ther P albigutta or P. lethostigma) ranked third in abun-
           Gobiidae                                  7.o       8.3      8.3           dance in December and fourth in abundance from
           Gonostomatidae                  16.5               11.9                    January through March among Paralichthys collections
           Myctophidae                     24.8      4.9      30.8    23.2            (Table 4). Given their importance and their small size
           Ophichthidae                     5.7      9.1       5.9                    (meristic characters necessary to separate them have
           Ophidiidae                      10.3               17.1    39.9            not yet developed), a comparative description of P.
           Photichthyidae                            5.9                              lethostigma and R albigutta is needed to evaluate the
           Scaridae                         5.2
           Sciaenidae             334.1    81.5    165.3      88.7    34.7            abundance and distribution of early life history stages
           Scombridae                                                   5.8           and spawning areas of each of these bothids.
           Scorpaenidae                                       20.6                       Etropus crossotus and E. microstomus were most abun-
           Serranidae                       5.0               13.6    23.4            dant in open-shelf, lower-shelf, and slope habitat waters
           Sparidae                                 97.5      29.1    12.6            (Table 4) suggesting that the spawning area of these
           Stromateidae                                                 9.4           estuarine, coastal, and open-shelf species might be off-
           Syngnathidae                                                 4.8           shore of their adult habitat. Other bothids were less
           Synodontidae                                       10.6    15.8            abundant. Bothus sp., representative of two species that
           Triglidae               8.1      8.0                8.8                    occur in the study area (B. ocellatus and B. robinsi), was
                                                                                      never abundant. This genus, adults of which occupy







                                                                            Powell and Robbins: Ichthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina                              7



                                                                                             Table 3
                        Relative abundance (numbers/100 m3) of estuarine-dependent species, by month and station, collected in Onslow
                        Bay, North Carolina. Dashes indicate no samples were taken. Blank spaces indicate no larvae were collected.

                                                                                                                         Station


                        Family            Taxon                                11            12        13           14           15          16           17           18


                                                                                             November

                        Clupeidae         Brevoortia tyrannus                                0.9                    -            6.3                      -            -


                        Sciaenidae        Leioslomus xanthurus                                                      -          43.2          3.2
                                          Micropogonias undulatus                                                   -         229.8         56.9


                                                                                             December
                        Bothidae          Paralichthys albigutta                             2.5
                                          P. ,lethostigma                                              5.6
                                          Paralichthys sp.                                             7.0

                        Clupeidae         Brevoortia tyrannus                                                       4.1                                                0.6


                        Sciaenidae        Leiostomus xanthurus                                         5.6          4.6                      7.0          1.1        45.4
                                          Micropogonias undulatus             1.9            1.8       4.6                       1.8         1.4          0.5          6.0


                                                                                             January
                        Bothidae          Paralichthys dentatus                                                     6.5          2.0                      -            -
                                          Paralichthys sp.                                                          7.1          1.5                      -            -

                        Clupeidae         Brevoortia tyrannus                 2.8            1.6       22.3        14.4          2.0         1.0          -            -


                        Sciaenidae        Leiostomus xanthurus                4.2                      0.9        137.2        10.8          3.9          -            -
                                          Micropogonias undulatus                                                   2.7          4.7         1.0          -            -
                        Sparidae          Lagodon rhomboides                  0.7                      2.2          3.5        14.9          8.7          -            -


                                                                                             February
                        Bothidae          Paralichthys albigutta                                       1.6          4.1          5.6
                                          P. dentatus                                                               1.6          6.3         2.7          0.3
                                          P. lethostigma                                                            1.8          5.0
                                          Paralichthys sp.                                                          4.2          6.2         1.7          0.3

                        Clupeidae         Brevoortia tyrannus                                          8.4                     15.9          1.1          0.3          3.2


                        Sciaenidae        Leiostomus xanthurus                               0.8       13.5        41.7        20.3          2.3          0.3          1.8
                                          Micropogonias undulatus                                                   3.5          2.7         1.1          0.3          0.3

                        Sparidae          Lagodon rhomboides                  0.8            1.4       1.6          2.7        21.8


                                                                                             March
                        Bothidae          Paralichthys dentatus                                                                  3.7
                                          Paralichthys sp.                                   0.8       7.9          2.9

                        Clupeidae         Brevoortia tyrannus                                1.0       19.3         2.9        10.7          4.4          6.9          2.8


                        Sciaenidae        Leiostomus xanthurus                                         2.3         11.4        13.5          0.9          2.0
                                          Micropogonias undulatus                                                   2.9          1.7

                        Sparidae          Lagodon rhomboides                                           3.9                       8.8







            8         NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120



                                                                                     Table 4
                 Relative abundance (numbers/100 in') of bothid larvae, by month and station, collected in Onslow Bay, North
                 Carolina. Dashes indicate no samples were taken. Blank spaces indicate no larvae were collected.

                                                                                                   Station


                 Taxon                       11               12              13                14              15              16               17               18


                                                                                     November

                 Bothus sp.                                                                     -               1.3                              -                -
                 Citharichthys sp.                                                              -               2.2                              -                -
                 Etropus sp.                                                                    -                               1.6              -                -
                 Unidentified                                                                   -               8.1                              -                -


                                                                                     December
                 Bothus sp.                                                                     2.0                             1.6              0.6              1.6
                 Cyclopsettafinthriata                                                                                                           0.6              0.3
                 Etropus microstomus                                                                                                                              0.6
                 Etropus sp.                                                                                                    2.8                               2.2
                 Paralichthys albigutta                       2.5
                 P. lethostigma                                               5.6
                 Paralichthys sp.                                             7.0
                 Scophthalmus aquosus       1.0               2.9             4.9
                 Unidentified                                                                                                   1.4


                                                                                       January
                 Cithafichthys gymnorhinus                                                      4.2
                 Cilha?ichthys sp.                                                              4.9             4.5             1.4
                 Etropus sp.                                                                                    7.2             5.8
                 Paralichthys dentatus                                                          6.5             2.0
                 Paralichthys sp.                                                               7.1             1.5
                 Unidentified               0.7                                                 2.1


                                                                                      February
                 Bothus sp.                                                   1.6                                               1.4              0.3              0.8
                 Citharichthys cornutus                                                                                                          0.3
                 C. gymnorhinus                                                                                                                  0.3              0.8
                 Citharichthys sp.                                                                                                               0.3
                 Cyclopsettafimbriata                                                                                                                             0.3
                 Etropus crossotus                                                                              5.8
                 E. microstomus                                                                 7.6             3.4             2.6              0.5
                 Etropus sp.                                                                    6.8             7.0                              0.9              0.4
                 Paralichthys albiguita                                       1.6               4.1             5.6
                 P. dentatus                                                                    1.6             6.3             2.7              0.3
                 P. lethostigma                                                                 1.8             5.0
                 Paralichthys sp.                                                               4.2             6.2             1.7              0.3
                 Unidentified                                                                   4.1             3.2             10.5                              1.2


                                                                                        March
                 Bothus sp.                                                                                                     1.7              1.0              1.1
                 Citharichthys sp.                                                                                                               0.4
                 Cyclopsettafimbriata                                                                                           1.4
                 Etropus microstomus                                                                            14.2                                              1.1
                 Etropus sp.                                                  2.6               7.2                             4.1              1.0
                 Paralichthys dentatus                                                                          3.7
                 P. squamilentus                                                                                1.0             1.1
                 Paralichthys sp.                             0.9             7.9               2.9
                 Unidentified                                                                                                   1.3                               0.4







                                                                     Powell and Robbins: Ichthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina                      9


                   open-shelf waters, was most frequently collected in outer               Gadidae Gadid larvae were abundant in the ichthyo-
                   open-shelf, lower-shelf, and slope habitat waters (Table                plankton in December through March (Table 2). Gadid
                   4). Citha7ichthys gmnorhinus and C comutus, which are                   larvae were not collected in November and were never
                   not known to occur in Onslow Bay as adults (Tucker,                     abundant in coastal waters (Tables 1 and 2). Uraphycis
                   1982), were rare in our collections (Table 4). The larg-                regia was the most common gadid, and it occurred
                   est collection of C. gymnorhinus was taken during Janu-                 mainly in open-shelf waters (Table 6). Urophycisflofidiana
                   ary in inner open-shelf waters on the shoreward edge of                 had a similar distribution although it occurred more
                   the thermal front (Table 4, Fig. 2). Scophthalmus aquosus,              often in middle to outer open-shelf waters. The least
                   a coastal and open-shelf species, was collected only in                 common gadid Enchelyopus cimbyius was collected only
                   December in coastal and inner portions of open-shelf                    during February and March and mainly in open-shelf
                   waters. Cyclopsettafimbfiata, a species that occurs in open-            waters. Unidentified Urophycis occurred only at offshore
                   shelf and lower-shelf waters, was not commonly en-                      stations.
                   countered. Larvae were only collected in outer open-
                   shelf, lower-shelf, and slope waters within the Gulf                    Mesopelagic Larvae-The mesopelagic Myctophidae,
                   Stream (Table 4).                                                       Gonostomatidae, and Photichthyidae were the most
                                                                                           commonly encountered "tropical" families. These fami-
                   Clupeidae-Clupeid larvae were abundant throughout                       lies were most abundant in open-shelf waters rather
                   the study period, especially during March (Table 2).                    than in slope habitat waters (Table 1). During Decem-
                   They were more commonly collected in coastal and                        ber these families were commonly collected in Gulf
                   open-shelf waters, and less commonly collected in lower-                Stream waters (Table 1) and were never collected within
                   shelf and slope habitat waters (Table 1). Two species                   or at the inshore edge of the thermal front (Fig. 2). In
                   dominated the collection, the estuarine-dependent                       February myctophids were collected close to shore within
                   Brevoonia tyrannus and the pelagic Etrumeus teres, adults               the front, where temperatures ranged from 10' to 15'C
                   of which inhabit coastal and open-shelf waters. Although                (Table 1, Fig. 2). Smaller numbers of larval myctophids,
                   it was most abundant in open-shelf waters, B. tyrannus                  gonostomatids, and photichthyids were collected in
                   occurred throughout the study period and in all habi-                   coastal waters at this time when temperatures were 8'-
                   tats (Table 5). Larvae were a major component of the                    9'C (Fig. 2). During March, myctophids, were most
                   estuarine-dependent ichthyoplankton in January and                      abundant in open-shelf and lower-shelf waters on the
                   February and dominated in March (Table 3). Etrumeus                     shore side and Gulf Stream side of the front, respec-
                   teres was first collected in January in small numbers in                tively (Table 1, Fig. 2). The inshore occurrence of these
                   lower-shelf and slope habitat waters and was only col-                  mesopelagic families indicated a distributional pattern
                   lected on the Gulf Stream side of the thermal front                     that is influenced by Gulf Stream intrusions onto the
                   (Table 5). When collected together, E. teres always oc-                 open shelf.
                   curred in greater densities than B. tyrannus.




                                                                                   Table 5
                      Relative abundance (numbers/100 m3) of larval Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus (AM), and larval round
                      herring, Etrumeus teres (RH), in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, by station and month. Dashes indicate no samples were
                      taken.


                                                                                           Station


                                          11             12             13            14              15            16            17             18


                      Month            AM/RH          AM/RH         AM/RH           AM/RH         AM/RH           AM/RH        AM/RH          AM/RH


                      November            0/0           0.9/0            0/0          -            6.3/0           0/0            -


                      December            0/0             0/0            0/0          4.1/0         0/0            0/0           0/0.3        0.6/1.6

                      January            2.8/0          1.6/0         22.3/0          14.4/0      2.0/3.2         1.0/8.7         -

                      February            0/0             0/0          8.4/0          8.2        15.9/21.8        1.1/2.2      0.3/3.8        3.2/10.2

                      March               0/0           1.0/0         19.3/0          2.9/0       10.7/0         4.4/18.2      6.9/20.6       2.8/10.2







             10        NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120



                                                                                      Table 6
                Relative abundance (numbers/100 in') of gadid larvae in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, by station and month. Dashes
                indicate no samples were taken. No gadid larvae were collected in November. Blank spaces indicate no larvae were
                collected.


                                                                                                    Station


                Taxon                        11               12               13               14               15              16               17               18


                                                                                      December
                Urophycis regia                                                                 4.6
                Urophycis sp.                                                                                                                     0.3              0.6
                Unidentified                                                                    22.4


                                                                                       January
                U. floridiana                                                                   1.6                                               -                -
                U. regia                                                       9.8              17.1           15.4              6.0                               -

                                                                                       February
                Enchelyopus cimbfius                                           1.6              1.6              1.7                                               0.3
                U. floridiana                                0.8                                4.6              9.7             8.0
                U. regia                                     0.8               3.4              4.2            16.3              2.8
                Urophycis sp.                                                                                                   11.3              6.5              5.9


                                                                                        March

                E. cimbrius                                                    2.6              1.1
                U. floiidiana                                                                                  12.2              1.8
                U. regia                                                       2.9              3.8            35.6              4.5




             Ophidiidae-Ophidiid larvae were frequently captured,                               Reef fishes-Reef fish larvae generally were not abun-
             but were not generally found at densities @! five larvae/                          dant in the ichthyoplankton collected in Onslow Bay
             100 M3 throughout the study period (Table 2). Ophidiid                             from late fall to early spring (Table 7). However, ser-
             larvae were most abundant in open-shelf waters (Table                              ranid and scarid larvae were abundant during certain
             1). In December, when ophidiids ranked seventh in                                  months (Table 2). Scarids, found in abundance only in
             abundance (Table 2), we were unable to identify them                               December (Table 2), were never abundant at any single
             below the family level. In February, ophidiids collected                           station (Table 1) but were collected in outer open-
             in open-shelf waters (stations 14 and 15) were identi-                             shelf, lower-shelf, and slope habitat waters (Table 7).
             fied as Ophidion grayi (8.0 larvae/ 100 m3), a coastal and                         Serranids, whose larvae were the most frequently col-
             open-shelf species, and Lepophidium profundorum (2.4                               lected of the reef fishes, were most abundant during
             larvae/100 m3), a shelf-edge and lower-shelf species. In                           February and March in open-shelf waters (Tables I and
             March, when they were more abundant (Table 2),                                     2). Species of Diplectrum were the most common ser-
             ophidiids were collected in open-shelf waters (Table 1).                           ranids in our collections. Mycteroperca, which was of
             Here, collections were dominated by 0. grayi (11.9 lar-                            major interest to the objectives of this study, was col-
             vae/100 m3), 0. selenaps (6.3 larvae/100 ml), and L.                               lected only in March (Table 7). Only one larva of Pagrus
             profundoram (4.7 larvae/100 m3).                                                   pagrus,, the other reef fish of major interest, was col-
                                                                                                lected.
             Sparidae-Sparid larvae were abundant from January
             through March in open-shelf waters (Tables I and 2).
             Numerous unidentified sparids were collected at one                                Cooccurrence of "tropical" and estuarine-
             station Uanuary, station 15, 63.3 larvae/ 100 m3), but at                          dependent species
             all other stations the estuarine-dependent Lagodon
             rhomboides was the only abundant sparid (Tables I and                              An interesting distributional pattern observed was the
             2). Lagodon rhomboides was the third most abundant                                 cooccurrence of "tropical" and estuarine-dependent
             estuarine-dependent species in each of the months it                               species (Table 8). In November, "tropical" species were
             was collected (Table 3).                                                           rarely collected. In December, "tropical" and estuarine-







                                                                                Powell and Robbins: lchthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina                                    11



                                                                                                   Table 7
                          Relative abundance (number/100 m3) of reef fish larvae in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, by station and month.
                          Dashes indicate no samples were taken. Blank spaces indicate no larvae were collected.

                                                                                                                                      Station


                          Family                     Taxon                                 13                14              15               16                17               18


                                                                                                   November
                          Labridae                   Hemipteronolus sp.                                      -                                1.6               -                -
                          Pomacentridae              Abudefduftaurus                                         -                                1.6               -                -
                          Scaridae                   Unidentified                                            -                                1.6               -                -
                          Serranidae                 Serraninae                                              -               3.2                                -                -


                                                                                                   December
                          Acanthuridae               Acanthurus sp.                                                                           1.9               1.5
                          Apogonidae                 Unknown                                                                                                    0.3
                          Congridae                  Ariosoma sp.                                                                                               0.5
                          Holocentridae              Unidentified                                                                                                                0.3
                          Muraenidae                 Unidentified                                                                                               0.3
                          Scaridae                   Unidentified                                                                             2.8               0.8              1.6
                          Serranidae                 Anthias sp.                                                                              1.4               0.3              0.3
                                                     Anthiinae                                                                                                  0.3
                                                     Epinephelini                                                                             1.4
                                                     Serraninae                                                                                                 0.6              0.6


                                                                                                   January
                          Serranidae                 Diplectrum sp.                                                                           1.0               -                -


                                                                                                   February
                          Chaetodontidae             Chaetodon sp.                                                           1.0
                          Labridae                   Hemipteronotus sp.                                                      1.6              1.4               1.4
                          Malacanthidae              Lopholatilus chamaeleonliceps                                           1.0
                          Scaridae                   Unidentified                                                                                                                0.3
                          Serran'idae                Anthias sp.                                                             1.5              1.0               1.1
                                                     Anthiinae                                                                                                                   0.3
                                                     Centropristis sp.                                       1.6
                                                     Diplectrumformosum                   1.5
                                                     Diplectrum sp.                                          1.5             2.1              1.1
                                                     Serraninae                                                                                                                  0.6
                                                     Unidentified                                                                             1.4
                          Sparidae                   Pagrus pagrus                                           1.6


                                                                                                   March
                          Holocentridae              Holocentrus sp.                                                                          1.7
                          Kyphosidae                 Kyphosus seclatrix                                                                                         1.0
                          Mullidae                   Mullus auratus                                                          1.1
                          Scaridae                   Unidentified                                                                                                                1.1
                          Serranidae                 Anthias sp.                                                             2.2              1.8                                0.4
                                                     Centropfistis sp.                                                       2.0              1.9               0.4
                                                     Diplectrum sp.                       5.0                                4.7                                                 0.7
                                                     Epinephelini                                                                             2.0
                                                     My deroperca sp.                                                        2.4
                                                                                                                                                                                       1

                      dependent species cooccurred on outer open-shelf,                                      flowing, zooplankton-poor (Paffenhofer, 1985) Gulf
                      lower-shelf, and slope habitats, in waters warmed by                                   Stream is unknown.
                      Gulf Stream intrusions (Table 8, Fig. 2). In slope habi-                                "Tropical" and estuarine-dependent species cooc-
                      tat waters, where "tropical" ichthyoplankton would be                                  curred in all habitats in February (Table 8). These
                      expected to dominate, the estuarine-dependent                                          groups were collected together in coastal, open-shelf,
                      Leiostoinus xanthurus dominated (Table 8). The fate of                                 lower-shelf, and slope habitat waters, as well as in waters
                      these estuarine-dependent larvae in the northeastward                                  shoreward of the thermal front, in the front, and on the







           12       NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120



                                                                         Table 8
             Relative abundance (numbers/100 m') of larvae of "tropical"/ estuarine-depen dent species (see definitions in
             Methods), by station and month, collected in Onslow Bay, North Carolina. Dashes indicate no samples were taken.

                                                                                   Station


             Month               11            12             13            14             15            16             17            18


             November          0/0             0/0.9         0/0            -          1.3/279.3        0/60.1         -              -


             December          0/1.9           0/4.3         0/22.7        0/8.7       7.0/1.8       36.4/8.4        11.4/1.5      5.4/52.0

             January           0/7.7           0/1.6         0/25.4       7.9/171.6    3.3/35.9       11.6/14.6

             February          0/0.8          5.3/2.2       6.8/25.1     19.0/59.6     9.4/83.8        9.5/8.9        5.8/1.5      8.3/5.3

             March             0/0             0/1.9        3.7/33.4      8.6/20.0     5.8/38.4        4.2/5.3       10.7/9.0      2.1/2.8




           Gulf Stream side of the front (Fig. 2). During this                    spawns earlier in the season off North Carolina (winter-
           sampling period, Leiostomus xanthurus was a dominant                   early spring, with a peak in late March and early April)
           estuarine-dependent species, whose age and size in-                    than M. phenax (April through August, with a peak in
           creased from offshore to inshore (Lewis andjudy, 1983;                 May and June) (Matheson et al., 1986; Collins et al.,
           Warlen and Chester, 1985). Apparently both groups                      1987). Like P. pagrus, the rarity of M. microlepis larvae in
           spawn in offshore waters and are transported shore-                    the ichthyoplankton remains largely unexplained.
           ward from warm Gulf Stream influenced water to cold
           coastal waters (e.g. Fig. 2).
                                                                                  Gulf Streatn Intrusions

           Discussion                                                             The occurrence of "tropical" species (mainly meso-
                                                                                  pelagics) in coastal and open-shelf waters might be
           Reef Fish Larvae                                                       evidence of the intrusion of Gulf Stream waters onto
                                                                                  the shelf. The intrusions are episodic events (2-14 days)
           Our winter ichthyoplankton survey was not effective for                caused by Gulf Stream meanders and filaments
           capturing commercially or recreationally important reef                (Atkinson, 1985; Lee et al., 1985; Yoder, 1985), and
           fish larvae. We collected only one larval red porgy,                   apparently are associated with the upwelling of nutri-
           Pagrus pagrus, an important recreational species that is               ents (Atkinson, 1985; Paffenhofer, 1985; Yoder, 1985).
           abundant on hard bottom reefs in Onslow Bay                            The intrusions might not only provide a productive
           (Manooch, 1976; Grimes et al., 1982). Ripe females                     food environment for fishes that spawn in concordance
           have been collected off North Carolina frornJanuary to                 with these episodic events but may also serve as mecha-
           April, and peak spawning periods occur during March                    nisms to transport larvae to shelf waters. During winter,
           and April (Manooch, 1976). Larvae of this species have                 intrusion of Gulf Stream water could transport larvae of
           only been collected in small numbers in the South                      estuarine-dependent species that are entrained in Gulf
           Atlantic Bight during winter (n = 3) and spring (n = 9),               Stream water into shelf waters. For example, the large
           and only in the neuston (Powles, 1977). This species is                numbers of Leiostomus xanthurus larvae we observed in
           highly residential (Grimes et al., 1982); therefore, it                slope waters in December could be transported north
           most likely spawns off North Carolina. The rarity of reef              into Raleigh Bay, North Carolina (Fig. 1), by Gulf Stream
           fish larvae in ichthyoplankton surveys in the South At-                filaments or meanders.
           lantic Bight remains largely unexplained (Powles and                     We suggest that Gulf Stream intrusions transport lar-
           Stender, 1976; Powles, 1977). Larvae that were poten-                  vae onto the shelf, but we found no larvae that could
           tially Mycteroperca microlepis (i.e. identified to tribe               have been transported southward into Onslow Bay by
           Epinephelini or Mycteroperca sp.) were rarely collected.               the longshore Virginia current (Pietrafesa et al., 1985).
           Adult M. microlepis and M. phenax are the two most                     Northern genera such as Ammodytes frequently occur in
           abundant Mycteraperca species in Onslow Bay (Grimes et                 ichthyoplankton collections north of Cape Hatteras,
           al., 1982; Chester et al., 1984). Although their larvae                North Carolina (Berrien et al., 1978), and should be a
           are indistinguishable from each other, M. microkpis                    good indicator of southerly directed, longshore trans-







                                                                             Powell and Robbins: Ichthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina                                13


                      port. We did not observe this genus or other northerly                            result of accessibility and vulnerability of larvae to the
                      taxa (e.g. Gadus morhua, Pollachius virens) that are col-                         sampling gear, especially since coastal stations were
                      lected north of Cape Hatteras in winter.                                          sampled only during daylight. Inside estuaries, larvae
                                                                                                        are more accessible because they are concentrated in
                      Estuarine-dependent Species                                                       smaller areas (Lewis and Judy, 1983).

                      Larvae of the estuarine-dependent species Leiostomus                              Bothidae
                      xanthurus, Micrapogonias undulatus, and Bremaytia tyran-
                      nus are important components of the ichthyoplankton                               The larvae of several bothids are important compo-
                      during late fall and winter in Onslow Bay and in North                            nents of the ichthyoplankton during late fall and early
                      Carolina waters north and south of Onslow Bay (Powles                             winter in the lower Middle Atlantic Bight (Chesapeake
                      and Stender, 1976; Berrien et al., 1978; this study).                             Bay to Cape Hatteras) (Table 9) and during late fall
                      Although generally abundant in the study area, they (as                           and throughout the winter in the South Atlantic Bight
                      well as other taxa) were rarely captured in coastal wa-                           (Table 4; Powles and Stender, 1976). In the lower Middle
                      ters, although they are the most common species in                                Atlantic Bight, bothid larvae were rarely collected dur-
                      estuarine collections (Warlen and Burke, 1990). Lewis                             ing mid- to late-winter (Table 9). During late fall and
                      and Judy (1983) observed similar patterns for L.                                  early winter, Paralichthys dentatus larvae were abundant
                      xanthurus and M. undulatus in Onslow Bay. Mean lengths                            in the lower Middle Atlantic Bight (Table 9) but were
                      and ages of B. tyrannus, L xanthurus, and M. undulatus                            not collected before midwinter in Onslow Bay (Table
                      progressively increase from offshore to inshore (Warlen,                          4), which is in concordance with Smith's (1973) obser-
                      1982; Lewis andjudy, 1983; Warlen and Chester, 1985;                              vations that spawning progresses southward with the
                      Warlen, 1992), which strongly suggests offshore spawn-                            season. Larvae of P. albigutta and P. lethostigma have not
                      ing. Obviously there would be a marked decline in                                 been reported from the Middle Atlantic Bight (Berrien
                      numbers due to high natural mortality rates in the early                          et al., 1978) but are commonly collected in the South
                      stages, but their rarity in coastal waters is probably a                          Atlantic Bight during winter and early spring (Table 4;




                                                                                               Table 9
                         Percentage of bothid larvae captured by area from Chesapeake Bay to Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. Data (larvae/
                         30 minute tow) are modified from Berrien et al. (1978). When duplicate samples were taken at the same station, data
                         were averaged.

                                                                                                                   Area of collection


                                                                           Number of                    South of                 Transect off                  North of
                         Month       Taxon                                   larvae                 Cape Hatteras               Cape Hatteras              Cape Hatteras

                         Nov         Bothus ocellatus                          183                          78                         22                            0
                                     Citharichthys arctifrons                   87                            2                        32                         66
                                     Cyclopsettafi7nbriata                        3                         67                         33                            0
                                     Etropus ?nicrostomus                      255                          58                         31                         11
                                     Paralichthys dentatus                      92                          11                         40                         49
                                     Scophthalmus aquosus                       59                          15                           0                        85
                                     Syacium papillosum                         25                          68                         32                            0


                         Dec         Bothus ocellatus                           67                          46                         54                            0
                                     Citharichthys ardifrons                      1                           0                          0                        100
                                     Cyclopsettafimbriata                         1                        100                           0                           0
                                     Etropus inicrostomus                      246                          82                         17                            1
                                     Paralichthys dentatus                     317                          25                         35                         40
                                     Scophthalmus aquosus                      108                          54                         23                         23
                                     Syacium papillosum                           3                         67                         33                            0

                         Jan-Feb     Bothus ocellatus                             8                         88                         12                            0
                                     Etropus microstomus                        33                          97                           0                           3
                                     Paralichthys dentatus                      33                          64                         27                            9
                                     Scophthalmus aquosus                         4                         50                           0                        50







           14       NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120


           Powles and Stender, 1976). The distribution of P.                        Conclusions
           albigutta and P. lethostig-ma larvae coincides with that of
           the adults, whose northernmost limit is North Carolina                   Larvae of winter spawning estuarine-dependent species
           (Gutherz, 1967).                                                         were a major component of the ichthyoplankton in
             Bothus and Syacium were reported to be the dominant                    Onslow Bay, North Carolina. Most of these (R tyrannus,
           bothid larvae collected in the South Atlantic Bight dur-                 L. xanthurus, M. undulatus, Paralichthys spp.) are valu-
           ing late fall (Powles and Stender, 1976). We never                       able commercial or recreational species (U.S. Depart-
           collected Syacium and only collected Bothus larvae in                    ment of Commerce, 1992) and, with the exception of
           small numbers throughout the study period (Table 4).                     larval R albigutta and P. lethostigma, are readily identifi-
           Small numbers of Syacium and larger numbers of Bothus                    able. Results from our study suggo;st that future studies
           larvae have been previously collected in Raleigh Bay                     examining the relationship between primary and sec-
           and Onslow Bay but have been rarely collected north of                   ondary production, larval fish abundance, and the front
           Cape Hatteras (Table 9). Bothus larvae appear to be more                 separating warm Gulf Stream waters from cooler shelf
           common on the outer shelf (Table 4; Berrien et al., 1978).               waters would be useful. Understanding the early life
             Etropus microstomus larvae were commonly collected                     history strategies of cooccurring, strikingly different
           in the upper South Atlantic Bight (Tables 4 and 9), but                  life history types (e.g. estuarine-dependent and meso-
           were not noted in Powles and Stender's (1976) survey                     pelagic species) or morphologically similar estuarine-
           of the South Atlantic Bight. Although adults of E.                       dependent and non-estuarine-dependent species (e.g.
           microstomus range north to New York (Tucker, 1982),                      the clupeids B. tyrannus and E. teres) through compara-
           larvae were rarely encountered above Cape Hatteras,                      tive studies should provide insight into biological mecha-
           North Carolina (Table 9). Scophthalmus aquosus was com-                  nisms that enable transport to favorable habitats. Inno-
           monly collected in the lower Middle Atlantic Bight and                   vative sampling techniques need to be developed to
           Onslow Bay (Tables 4 and 9) but was not noted in                         capture larvae of reef fishes, such as P. pagrus and
           Powles and Stender's (1976) survey of the South Atlan-                   Mycteraperca.
           tic Bight. Scophthalmus aquosus larvae were collected in
           great numbers in the Middle Atlantic Bight (Berrien et
           al., 1978) and, although adults range from the Gulf of
           St. Lawrence to Florida, collections of larvae suggest                   Acknowledgments
           this species is most abundant north of Cape Hatteras.
             Cyclopsettafimbriata larvae are rarely encountered in                  We wish to express our appreciation to all those indi-
           the Middle Atlantic Bight and in Onslow Bay (Tables 4                    viduals who participated in the cruises, including the
           and 9; Berrien et al., 1978), but were common during                     crew of the RV John deWo@f IL Special thanks to Dean
           late winter and early spring in Powles and Stender's                     Ahrenholz, Stanley Warlen, two anonymous reviewers
           (1976) survey of the South Atlantic Bight. Collections                   who made valuable suggestions, and Mark Fonseca who
           of larvae coincide with the distribution of adults, whose                provided valuable computer programming expertise.
           northernmost limit is North Carolina (Gutherz, 1967).                    This work was supported in part by a cooperative agree-
                                                                                    ment between NMFS and the U.S. Department of Energy.

           Absence of Certain Taxa

           Conspicuously absent from our collections was the ge-
           nus Mugil, especially Mugil cephalus which is a winter                   Literature Cited
           spawning, estuarine-dependent species (Powles and                        Ahlstrom, E. H.J. L. Butler, and B. Y. Sumida.
           Stender, 1976; Ross and Epperly, 1985). Muggil are com-                        1976. Pelagic stromateoid fishes (Pisces, Perciformes) of the
           monly captured in neuston tows (Fahay, 1975; Powles                               eastern Pacific: kinds, distributions, and early life histories
           and Stender, 1976) but are not commonly collected in                              and observations on five of these from the northwest
           standard bongo tows (Powles and Stender, 1976; Berrien                            Atlantic. Bull. May. Sci. 26-.285-402.
           et al., 1978). Other winter spawning taxa whose larvae                   Atkinson, L. P.
           are known to be neustonic and not commonly collected                           1985. Hydrography and nutrients of the southeastern U.S.
                                                                                             continental shelf In L. P. Atkinson, D. W. Menzel, and
           in -this study are the Mullidae and Scomber (Powles and                           K. A. Bush (eds.), Oceanography of the southeastern U.S.
           Stender, 1976). The gadid Urophycis, which was abun-                              continental shelf, p. 77-92. Am. Geophys. Union, Coast.
           dant in our collections (Table 6), is even more com-                              Est. Sci. 2.
           mon in neuston tows (Powles and Stender, 1976) and                       Berrien, P. L., M. P. Fahay, A. W. Kendalljr., and W. G. Smith.
           was probably undersampled in this study. This indicates                        1978. Ichthyoplankton from the RV Dolphin survey of conti-
                                                                                             nental shelf waters between Martha's Vineyard, Massachu-
           the need to include neuston tows in ichthyoplankton                               setts and Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 1965-66. NOAA,
           surveys and points to one limitation of this study.                               NMFS, Sandy Hook Lab., Tech. Ser. Rep. No. 15,152 p.







                                                                              Powell and Robbins: Ichthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina                                15


                      Chester, A. J., G. R. Huntsman, P. A. Tester, and C. S. Manooch 111.                       Capes. In L. P. Atkinson, D. W. Menzel, and YL A. Bush
                             1984. South Atlantic Bight reef fish communities as repre@                          (eds.), Oceanography of the southeastern U.S. continental
                                sented in hook and line catches. Bull. Mar. Sci. 34:267-279.                     shelf, p. 23-32. Am. Geophys. Union, Coast. Est. Sci. 2.
                      Collins, M. R., C. W. Waltz, W. A. Roumillat, and D. L. Stubbs.                   Powles, H.
                             1987. Contribution to the life history and reproductive biol-                    1977. Larval distributions and recruitment hypotheses for
                                ogy of gag, Mycteroperca microlepis (Serranidae), in the South                   snappers and groupers of the South Atlantic Bight. Proc.
                                Atlantic Bight. Fish. Bull. 85:648-653.                                          31st Annu. Conf. S.E. Assoc. Game Fish. Comm., 9-12 Oct.
                      Comyns, B. H., and G. C. Grant.                                                            1977, San Antonio, Texas, p. 361-371.
                             1993. Identification and distribution of Urophycis and Phycis              Powles, H, and B. W. Stender.
                                (Pisces, Gadidae) larvae and pelagic juveniles in the U.S.                    1976. Observations on composition, seasonality and distribu-
                                Middle Atlantic Bight. Fish. Bull. 91:210-223.                                   tion of ichthyoplankton from MARMAP cruises in the South
                      Fahay, M. P.                                                                               Atlantic Bight in 1973. S.C. Mar. Res. Cent., Tech. Rep.
                             1975. An annotated list of larval andjuvenile fishes captured                       Ser. No. 11, 47 p.
                                with surface-towed meter net in the South Atlantic Bight                Robins, C. R., and G. C. Ray.
                                during four RV Dolphin cruises between May 1967 and Feb-                      1986. A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North
                                ruary 1968. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS SSRF-685, 39 p.                                 America. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 354 p.
                             1983. Guide to the early stages of marine fishes occurring in              Ross, S. W., and S. P. Epperly.
                                the western North Atlantic Ocean, Cape Hatteras to the                        1985. Utilization of shallow estuarine nursery areas by fishes
                                southern Scotian Shelf. J. Northwest Ad. Fish. Sci. 4:1-423.                     in Pamlico Sound and adjacent tributaries, North
                      Grimes, C. B., C. S. Manooch, and G. R. Huntsman.                                          Carolina. InA. Yanez-Aranciba (ed.), Fish community ecol-
                             1982. Reef and rock outcropping fishes of the outer conLi-                          ogy in estuaries and coastal lagoons: towards an ecosystem
                                nental shelf of North Carolina and South Carolina, and                           integration, p. 207-232. DR(R) UNAM Press, Mexico.
                                ecological notes on the red porgy and vermilion snapper.                Schwartz, F. J.
                                Bull. Mar. Sci. 32:277-289.                                                   1989. Zoogeography and ecology of fishes inhabiting North
                      Gutherz, E.J.                                                                              Carolina's marine waters to depths of 600 meters. In R. Y.
                             1967. Field guide to the flatfishes of the family Bothidae in                       George and A. W. Hulbert (eds.), North Carolina coastal ocean-
                                the western North Atlantic. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Circ.                        ography symposium, p. 335-374. NOAA-NURP Rept. 89-2.
                                263, 47 p.                                                              Smith, W. G.
                      Lee, T. N., V. Kourafalou,J. D. Wang, W.J. Ho,J. 0. Blanton, and                        1973. The distribution of summer flounder, Paralichthys
                         L. P. Atkinson.                                                                         dentatus, eggs and larvae on the continental shelf between
                             1985. Shelf circulation from Cape Canaveral to Cape Fear                            Cape Cod and Cape Lookout, 1965-66. Fish. Bull. 71:527-
                                during winter. In L. P. Atkinson, D. W. Menzel, and K. A.                        548.
                                Bush (eds.), Oceanography of the southeastern U.S. conti-               Smith, P. E., and S. L. Richardson.
                                nental shelf, p. 33-62. Am. Geophys. Union, Coast. Est.                       1977. Standard techniques for pelagic fish egg and larva
                                Sci. 2.                                                                          surveys. FAO Fish. Tech. Pap. No. 175, 100 p.
                      Lewis, R. M., and M. H. Judy.                                                     Struhsaker, P.
                             1983. The occurrence of spot, Leiostomus xanthurus, and At-                      1969. Demersal fish resources: composition, distribution, and
                                lantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus, larvae in Onslow                        commercial potential of the continental shelf stocks off
                                Bay and Newport River estuary, North Carolina. Fish. Bull.                       southeastern United States. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Fish.
                                81:405-412.                                                                      Ind. Res. 4:261-300.
                      Manooch, C. S., 111.                                                              Tucker, J. W., Jr.
                             1976. Reproductive cycle, fecundity, and sex ratios of the red                   1982. Larval development of Citharichthys cornutus, C.
                                porgy, Pagrus pag-rus (Pisces: Sparidae) in North                                gymnorhinus, C spilapterus, and Eiropus crossotus (Bothidae),
                                Carolina. Fish. Bull. 74:775-781.                                                with notes on larval occurrence. Fish. Bull. 80: 35-73.
                      Matheson, R. H., 111, G. R. Huntsman, and C. S. Manooch 111.                      U.S. Department of Commerce.
                             1986. Age, growth, mortality, food and reproduction of the                       1992. Fisheries of the United States, 1991. NOAA, NMFS
                                scamp, Mycieroperca phenax, collected off North Carolina                         Cur. Fish. Stat. 9100, 113 p.
                                and South Carolina. Bull. Mar. Sci. 38:300-312.                         Warlen, S. M.
                      Methven, D. A.                                                                          1982. Age and growth of larvae and spawning time of Atlantic
                             1985. Identification and development of larval and juvenile                         croaker in North Carolina. Proc. Ann. Conf. S.E. Assoc.
                                Urophycis chuss, U. tenius and Phycis chesteri (Pisces: Gadidae)                 Fish. Wildl. Agencies 34:204-214.
                                from the Northwest Atlantic. J. Northwest Ad. Fish. Sci.                      1992@ Age, growth and size distribution of larval Atlantic men-
                                6:9-20.                                                                          haden off North Carolina. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 121:588-
                      Olney,J. E., and D. F. Markle.                                                             598.
                             1979. Description and occurrence of vexillifer larvae of                   Warlen, S. M., and A. J. Chester.
                                Echiodon (Pisces: Carapidae) in the western North Atlantic                    1985. Age, growth, and distribution of larval spot, Leiostomus
                                and notes on other carapid vexillifers,. Bull. Mar. Sci.                         xanthurus, off North Carolina. Fish. Bull. 83:587-600.
                                29:365-379.                                                             Warlen, S. M., andj. S. Burke.
                      Paffenhofer, G A.                                                                       1990. Immigration of larvae of fall/winter spawning marine
                             1985.. The abundance and distribution of zooplankton on                             fishes into a North Carolina estuary. Estuaries 13:453-461.
                                the southeastern shelf of the United States. In L.P.                    Yoder,J. A.
                                Atkinson, D. W. Menzel, and K_ A. Bush (eds.), Oceanogra-                     1985. Environmental control of phytoplankton production
                                phy of the southeastern U.S. continental shelf, p. 104-                          on the southeastern U.S. continental shelf. In L. P.
                                117. Am. Geophys. Union, Coast. Est. Sci. 2.                                     Atkinson, D. W. Menzel, and K_ A. Bush (eds.), Oceanogra-
                      Pietrafesa, L. J., G. S. Janowitz, and P. A. Wittmann.                                     phy of the southeastern U.S. continental shelf, p. 93-
                             1985. Physical oceanographic processes in the Carolina                              103. Am. Geophys. Union, Coast. Est. Sci. 2.







          16         NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120


                                                                          Appendix Table I
                              Relative abundance of ichthyoplankton by station during November 1979. An asterisk
                              indicates taxa that are exclusively "tropical" (see definitions in Methods).

                                                                                                                      Relative abundance
                              Station           Family                          Taxon                                    (No./100 ml)

                              11                Sciaenidae                      Unidentified                                    0.9


                              12                Clupeidae                       Brevoortia tyrannus                             0.9
                                                Engraulidae                     Engraulis ewystok                               0.9
                                                Unidentified                                                                    1.8


                              13                Syngnathidae                    Syngnathus sp.                                  3.1

                              14                No samples

                              15                Bothidae                        Bothus sp.                                      1.3
                                                                                Cithwichihys sp.                                2.2
                                                                                Unidentified                                    8.1
                                                Callionymidae                   Unidentified                                    1.3
                                                Clupeidae                       Brevoortia tyrannus                             6.3
                                                Cynoglossidae                   Symphurus sp.                                   1.3
                                                Elopidae                        Elops saurus                                    1.6
                                                Engraulidae                     Engraulis emystole                              3.4
                                                Gobiidae                        Unidentified                                    3.8
                                                Gonostomatidae                  Cyclothone sp.*                                 1.3
                                                Ophichthidae                    Ophichthus sp.                                  1.7
                                                Ophidiidae                      Ophidion selenops                               1.6
                                                                                Otophidium omostigmum                           1.6
                                                Sciaenidae                      Leiostomus xanthurus                           43.2
                                                                                Micropogonias undulatus                       229.9
                                                Serranidae                      Serraninae                                      3.2
                                                Synodontidae                    Unidentified                                    1.6
                                                Unidentified                                                                    13.7
                                                Bothidae                        Etropus sp.                                     1.6

                              16                Carangidae                      Decapterus Punctalus                            1.6
                                                Engraulidae                     Engraulis eutystole                             1.6
                                                Labridae                        Hemipteronotus sp.                              1.6
                                                Ophichthidae                    Ophichthus sp.                                  1.6
                                                Pomacentridae                   Abudefduf taurus                                1.6
                                                Scaridae                        Unidentified                                    1.6
                                                Sciaenidae                      Leiostomus xanthurus                            3.3
                                                                                Micropogonias undulatus                        56.9
                                                Scorpaenidae                    Unidentified                                    1.6
                                                Triglidae                       Prionotus sp.                                   8.1

                              17                No samples

                              18                No samples






                                                                              Powell and Robbins: Ichthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina                               17


                                                                                        Appendix Table 2
                                           Relative abundance of ichthyoplankton by station during December 1979. Asterisks indicate
                                           taxa that are exclusively "tropical"         or exclusively lower shelf (**) (see definitions in Methods).

                                                                                                                                      Relative abundance
                                           Station           Family                            Taxon                                     (No./100 m3)

                                           11                Bothidae                          Scophthalmus aquosus                            1.0
                                                             Engraulidae                       Anchoa hepsetus                                 3.7
                                                                                               Engraulis eurystole                             0.9
                                                             Sciaenidae                        Micropogonias undulatus                         1.9
                                                             Unidentified                                                                      0.9


                                           12                Balistidae                        Unidentified                                    1.0
                                                             Bothidae                          Paralichthys albigutta                          2.5
                                                                                               Scophthalmus aquosus                            2.9
                                                             Ophichthidae                      Myrophis Punctatus                              1.3
                                                             Sciaenidae                        Micropogonias undulatus                         1.8

                                           13                Bothidae                          Paralichthys lethostigma                        5.6
                                                                                               Paralichthys sp.                                7.0
                                                                                               Scophthalmus aquosus                            4.9
                                                             Gobiidae                          GoNonellus sp.                                  2.8
                                                             Sciaenidae                        Leiostomus xanthurus                            5.6
                                                                                               Micropogonias undulatus                         4.6
                                                             Unidentified                                                                      2.8


                                           14                Balistidae                        Unidentified                                    4.1
                                                             Bothidae                          Bothus sp.                                      2.0
                                                             Callionymidae                     Unidentified                                    2.3
                                                             Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                             4.1
                                                             Gadidae                           Unidentified                                    22.4
                                                                                               Urophycis regia                                 4.6
                                                             Ophidiidae                        Unidentified                                    6.1
                                                             Sciaenidae                        Leiostomus xanthurus                            4.6
                                                             Syngnathidae                      Hippocampus erectus                             2.3
                                                             Triglidae                         Pfionotus sp.                                   8.0
                                                             Unidentified                                                                      5.5

                                           15                Myctophidae                       Unidentified*                                   7.0
                                                             Ophichthidae                      Unidentified                                    1.8
                                                             Sciaenidae                        Micropogonias undulatus                         1.8
                                                             Unidentified                                                                      3.5


                                           16                Acanthuridae                      Acanthurus sp.                                  1.9
                                                             Ariommatidae                      Aiiomma sp.                                     4.2
                                                             Bothidae                          Bolhus sp.                                      1.6
                                                                                               Etropus SP.                                     2.8
                                                                                               Unidentified                                    1.4
                                                             Bregmacerotidae                   Bregmaceros sp.*                                1.4
                                                             Callionymidae                     Unidentified                                    1.6
                                                             Carangidae                        Selar crumenophthalmus                          6.6
                                                             Caristiidae                       Caristius sp.*                                  1.9
                                                             Centriscidae                      Macroramphosus sp.**                            7.o
                                                             Ceratiidae                        Unidentified*                                   1.9
                                                             Congridae                         Unidentified                                    1.4
                                                             Gonostomatidae                    Cyclothone sp.*                                 8.4
                                                                                               Unidentified*                                   2.8
                                                             Myctophidae                       Diogenichthys atlanticus*                       2.8
                                                                                               Hygophum hygomii*                               1.4
                                                                                               Notoscopelus sp.*                               1.4
                                                                                               Unidentified*                                   5.5
                                                             Nomeidae                          Psenes sp.*                                     1.4







          18         NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120



                                                                   Appendix Table 2 (Continued)

                                                                                                                        Relative abundance
                              Station           Family                           Taxon                                     (No./] 00 M3)

                                                Scaridae                         Unidentified                                    2.8
                                                Sciaenidae                       Leiostomus xanthurus                            7.0
                                                                                 Micropogonias undulatus                         1.4
                                                Serranidae                       Anthias sp.                                     1.4
                                                                                 Epinephelini                                    1.4
                                                Stomiidae                        Stomias sp.*                                    1.9
                                                Synodontidae                     Unidentified                                    1.4
                                                Unidentified                                                                     16.2



                              17                Acanthuridae                     Acanthurus sp.                                  1.6
                                                Antennariidae                    Antennarius sp.                                 0.3
                                                Apogonidae                       Unidentified                                    0.3
                                                Argentinidae                     Unidentified                                    0.3
                                                Ariommatidae                     Ariom?na sp.                                    0.5
                                                Balistidae                       Unidentified                                    0.3
                                                Bothiclae                        Bothus sp.                                      0.6
                                                                                 Cyclopsettafim&iata                             0.6
                                                Bramidae                         Pterycombus brama"                              0.3
                                                Bregmacerotidae                  Bregmaceros sp.*                                0.8
                                                Callionymidae                    Unidentified                                    0.6
                                                Carangidae                       Selar crumenophthalmus                          1.5
                                                                                 Unidentified                                    0.3
                                                Centriscidae                     Macroramphosus sp.**                            0.3
                                                Chiasmodontidae                  Unidentified*                                   0.3
                                                Clupeidae                        Etrumeus teres                                  0.3
                                                Congridae                        Ariosoma sp.                                    0.5
                                                                                 Unidentified                                    0.8
                                                Cynoglossidae                    Symphurus sp.                                   0.3
                                                Gadidae                          Urophycis sp.                                   0.3
                                                Gempylidae                       Gempylus serpens*                               0.3
                                                Gobiidae                         Unidentified                                    0.3
                                                Gonostornatidae                  Cyclothone sp.                                  1.3
                                                                                 Unidentified*                                   2.7
                                                Muraenidae                       Unidentified                                    0.3
                                                Myctophidae                      Lampadena luminosa*                             0.3
                                                                                 Unidentified*                                   3.2
                                                                                 Lampanyetus sp.*                                0.6
                                                Ophichthidae                     Myrophis Punctatus                              0.3
                                                                                 Ophichthus sp.                                  0.5
                                                Ophidiidae                       Brotula barbata*                                0.3
                                                                                 Ophidion sp.                                    0.3
                                                                                 Unidentified                                    0.3
                                                Paralepididae                    Unidentified*                                   0.6
                                                Photichthyidae                   Vinciguenia nimbaria*                           0.3
                                                                                 V. poweriae*                                    0.3
                                                Scaridae                         Unidentified                                    0.8
                                                Sciaenidae                       Leiostomus xanthurus                            1.1
                                                                                 Micropogonias undulalus                         0.5
                                                Scopelarchidae                   Unidentified*                                   0.3
                                                                                 Scmpaena sp.                                    0.6
                                                Scorpaeniclae                    Unidentified                                    0.9
                                                Serranidae                       Anthias sp.                                     0.3
                                                                                 Anthiinae                                       0.3
                                                                                 Serraninae                                      0.6
                                                Stomiidae                        Stomias sp.*                                    0.3
                                                Synodontidae                     Unidentified                                    0.3
                                                Unidentified                                                                     11.0







                                                                                Powell and Robbins: Ichthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina                                   19


                                                                                   Appendix Table 2 (Continued)

                                                                                                                                           Relative abundance
                                             Station            Family                            Taxon                                       (No./ 100 M3)

                                             18                 Apogonidae                        Unidentified                                       0.3
                                                                Balistidae                        Unidentified                                       0.3
                                                                Bothidae                          Bothus sp.                                         1.6
                                                                                                  Cyclopsettafimbriata                               0.3
                                                                                                  Efropus microstomus                                0.6
                                                                                                  Etropus SP.                                        2.2
                                                                Bregmacerotidae                   Bregmaceros sp.*                                   0.3
                                                                Carangidae                        Decapterus macarellus                              0.3
                                                                                                  Heinicaranx amblyrhynchus                          0.6
                                                                                                  Unidentified                                       4.1
                                                                Chiasmodontidae                   Unidentified*                                      0.3
                                                                Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                                0.6
                                                                                                  Etrumeus teres                                     1.6
                                                                Congridae                         Unidentified                                       0.3
                                                                Engraulidae                       Anchoa hepsetus                                    0.3
                                                                                                  Engraulis eurystole                                1.3
                                                                Gadidae                           Urophycis sp.                                      0.6
                                                                Gempylidae                        Diplospinus multistriatus*                         0.3
                                                                                                  Unidentified*                                      0.3
                                                                Gonostomatidae                    Cyclothone sp. *                                   1.0
                                                                                                  Unidentified*                                      0.3
                                                                Holocentridae                     Unidentified                                       0.3
                                                                Myctophidae                       Unidentified*                                      2.5
                                                                Ophichthiclae                     Myrophis Punctatus                                 0.3
                                                                                                  Unidentified                                       1.6
                                                                Ophidiidae                        Ophidion selenops                                  1.6
                                                                                                  Unidentified                                       1.6
                                                                Paralepididae                     Unidentified*                                      0.6
                                                                Scaridae                          Unidentified                                       1.6
                                                                Sciaenidae                        Leiostomus xanthurus                              45.4
                                                                                                  Micropogonias undulatus                            6.0
                                                                Scorpaenidae                      Unidentified                                       1.0
                                                                Serraniclae                       Anthias sp.                                        0.3
                                                                                                  Serraninae                                         0.6
                                                                Synodonticlae                     Unidentified                                       1.0
                                                                Unidentified                                                                        28.5







           20         NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120


                                                                             Appendix Table 3
                                Relative abundance of ichthyoplankton by station during January 1980. An asterisk
                                indicates taxa that are exclusively "tropical" (see definitions in Methods).

                                                                                                                          Relative abundance
                                Station           Family                            Taxon                                     (No./100 ml)

                                11                Bothidae                          Unidentified                                     0.7
                                                  Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                              2.8
                                                  Cynoglossidae                     Symphurus sp.                                    0.7
                                                  Gobiidae                          Unidentified                                     0.7
                                                  Ophichthidae                      Ophichthus sp.                                   0.7
                                                  Sciaenidae                        Leiostomus xanthurus                             4.2
                                                  Sparidae                          Lagodon rhomboides                               0.7

                                12                Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                              1.6

                                13                Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                            22.3
                                                  Gadidae                           Urophycis regia                                  9.8
                                                  Sciaeniclae                       Leiostomus xanthurus                             0.9
                                                  Sparidae                          Lagodon rhomboides                               2.2
                                                  Unidentified                                                                       1.9


                                14                Bothidae                          Cithwichthys gymnorhinus*                        4.2
                                                                                    Cithwichthys sp.                                 4.9
                                                                                    Paralichihys dentatus                            6.5
                                                                                    Paralichthys sp.                                 7.1
                                                                                    Unidentified                                     2.1
                                                  Carangidae                        Unidentified                                     1.6
                                                  Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                            14.6
                                                  Gadidae                           Urophycisflmidiana                               1.6
                                                                                    Urophycis regia                                17.1
                                                  Gobiidae                          Unidentified                                     2.1
                                                  Myctophidae                       Unidentified*                                    1.0
                                                  Ophichthidae                      Aptetichtus ansp*                                1.6
                                                                                    Myrophis Punctatus                               1.9
                                                                                    Ophichthus sp.                                   1.9
                                                  Photichthyidae                    Vinciguemia nimba7ia*                            1.0
                                                  Sciaenidae                        Leiostomus xanthurus                           137.2
                                                                                    Micropogonias undulatus                          2.7
                                                  Sparidae                          Lagodon rhomboides                               3.5
                                                                                    Unidentified                                     4.2
                                                  Syngnathidae                      Syngnathus sp.                                   1.9
                                                  Unidentified                                                                       9.1


                                15                Bothiclae                         Citharichthys sp.                                4.5
                                                                                    Etropus sp.                                      7.2
                                                                                    Paralichthys dentalus                            2.0
                                                                                    Paralichthys sp.                                 1.5
                                                  Callionymidae                     Unidentified                                     2.0
                                                  Carangidae                        Unidentified                                     1.1
                                                  Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                              2.0
                                                                                    Etrumeus teres                                   3.2
                                                  Gadidae                           Urophycis regia                                15.4
                                                  Gobiidae                          Unidentified                                     3.0
                                                  Gonostomatidae                    Unidentified*                                    0.8
                                                  Myctophidae                       Unidentified*                                    0.9
                                                  Ophichthidae                      Myrophis punctatus                               2.0
                                                  Ophidiidae                        Unidentified*                                    3.0
                                                  Paralepididae                     Unidentified*                                    1.5
                                                  Sciaenidae                        Leiostomus xanthurus                           10.8
                                                                                    Micropogonias undulatus                          4.7
                                                  Serranidae                        Diplectrum sp.                                   3.0






                                                                                Powell and Robbins: Ichthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina                                  21


                                                                                  Appendix Table 3 (Continued)

                                                                                                                                         Relative abundance
                                             Station           Family                            Taxon                                       (No./100 M3)

                                                               Sparidae                          Lagodon rhomboides                               14.9
                                                                                                 Unidentified                                     63.3
                                                               Syngnathidae                      Syngnathus sp.                                     1.1
                                                               Synodontidae                      Unidentified                                       1.5
                                                               Trighdae                          hionotus sp.                                       3.7
                                                               Unidentified                                                                       21.1


                                             16                Bothidae                          Citharichthys sp.                                  1.4
                                                                                                 Efropus sp.                                        5.8
                                                               Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                                1.0
                                                                                                 Etrumeus teres                                     8.7
                                                               Engraulidae                       Eng-raulis eutystole                               1.0
                                                               Gadidae                           Urophycis regia                                    6.0
                                                               Gobiidae                          Unidentified                                       1.2
                                                               Gonostomatidae                    Unidentified*                                      1.4
                                                               Myctophidae                       Diaphus sp.*                                       1.4
                                                                                                 Hygophum sp.*                                      1.4
                                                               Ophichthidae                      Ophichthus sp.                                     1.0
                                                               Paralepididae                     Stemonosudis intermedia*                           1.0
                                                                                                 Unidentified*                                      1.4
                                                               Photichthyidae                    Vinciguerria nimba7ia*                             4.9
                                                               Sciaenidae                        Leioslomus xanthurus                               3.9
                                                                                                 Micropogonias undulatus                            1.0
                                                               Serranidae                        Diplectrum sp.                                     1.0
                                                               Sparidae                          Lagodon rhomboides                                 8.7
                                                               Syngnathidae                      Syngnathus sp.                                     1.0
                                                                                                 Unidentified                                       1.4
                                                               Unidentified                                                                       31.0


                                             17                No samples

                                             18                No samples







           22         NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120


                                                                             Appendix Table 4
                                Relative abundance of ichthyoplankton by station during February 1980. Asterisks indicate
                                taxa that are exclusively "tropical"           or exclusively lower shelf (**) (see definitions in text).

                                                                                                                           Relative abundance
                                Station           Family                            Taxon                                      (No./ 100 in')

                                11                Sparidae                          Lagodon rhomboides                                0.8
                                                                                    Stenotomus ch?ysops                               0.7

                                12                Gadidae                           Urophycisfloridiana                               0.8
                                                                                    U. regia                                          0.8
                                                  Gonostomatidae                    Unidentified*                                     1.6
                                                  Myctophidae                       Ceratoscopelus maderensis*                        0.8
                                                                                    Diogenich1hys ailanticus*                         0.8
                                                                                    Hygophum sp.*                                     0.8
                                                                                    Unidentified*                                     0.8
                                                  Photichthyidae                    Vinciguerria attenuata*                           0.8
                                                  Sciaenidae                        Leiosfomus xanthurus                              0.8
                                                  Sparidae                          Lagodon rhomboides                                1.4
                                                  Unidentified                      Unidentified                                      2.3


                                13                Bothidae                          Bothus sp.                                        1.6
                                                                                    Paralichthys albigutta                            1.6
                                                  Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                               8.4
                                                  Eleotridae                        Dormitator maculatus                              3.4
                                                  Gadidae                           Enchelyopus cimhiius                              1.6
                                                                                    Urophycis regia                                   3.4
                                                  Haemulidae                        Unidentified                                      1.5
                                                  Myctophidae                       Ceratoscopelus maderensis*                        6.8
                                                  Sciaenidae                        Leiostomus xanthurus                             13.5
                                                  Scorpaenidae                      Helicolenus dactylopterus                         1.6
                                                  Serranidae                        Diplectrumformosum                                1.5
                                                  Sparidae                          Lagodon rhomboides                                1.6
                                                  Stromateidae                      Pepfilas hiacanthus                               1.9
                                                  Unidentified                                                                        5.0


                                14                Bothidae                          Etropus microstomus                               7.6
                                                                                    Etropus sp.                                       6.8
                                                                                    Paralichthys albigulta                            4.1
                                                                                    P. dentatus                                       1.6
                                                                                    P. lethostigma                                    1.8
                                                                                    Paralichthys sp.                                  4.2
                                                                                    Unidentified                                      4.1
                                                  Bregmacerotidae                   Bregmaceros sp.*                                  1.4
                                                  Carapidae                         Echiodon sp. *                                    1.8
                                                  Clupeidae                         Etrumeus teres
                                                  Cynoglossidae                     Symphurus sp.                                     2.5
                                                  Engraulidae                       Engraulis eurystole                               1.6
                                                  Gadidae                           EnchelyoPus cimb-yius                             1.6
                                                                                    Urophycisfloyidiana                               4.6
                                                                                    U. regia                                          4.2
                                                  Gempylidae                        Diplospinus multistriatus*                        1.6
                                                  Gonostomatidae                    Cyclothone sp.*                                   2.2
                                                  Labridae                          Hemipteronotus sp.                                1.6
                                                  Myctophidae                       Diogenichthys atlanticus*                         1.8
                                                                                    Unidentified*                                     5.6
                                                                                    Lampanyaus sp.*                                   1.6
                                                  Nernichthyidae                    Unidentified                                      1.6
                                                  Notosudidae                       Scopelosaurus mauli*                              1.5
                                                  Ophichthidae                      Unidentified                                      1.6
                                                  Ophidiidae                        Ophidion grayi                                    3.1
                                                                                    Unidentified                                      1.6
                                                  Paralepididae                     Lestidiopsjayakari*                               1.8







                                                                                Powell and Robbins: Ichthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina                                    23


                                                                                   Appendix Table 4 (Continued)

                                                                                                                                           Relative abundance
                                            Station             Family                            Taxon                                        (No./100 ml)

                                                                Scaridae                          Unidentified                                        1.6
                                                                Sciaeniclae                       Leiostomus xanihurus                              41.7
                                                                                                  Micropogonias undulatus                             3.5
                                                                Scorpaenidae                      Helicolenus dadylopterus                            2.1
                                                                                                  Unidentified                                        1.4
                                                                Serranidae                        Anthias sp.                                         1.5
                                                                                                  Centropristis sp.                                   1.6
                                                                                                  Diplectrum sp.                                      1.5
                                                                Sparidae                          Lagodon rhomboides                                  2.7
                                                                                                  Pagrus pag7US                                       1.6
                                                                Synodontidae                      Synodussp.                                          3.5
                                                                                                  Unidentified                                        1.6
                                                                Triglidae                         Piionotus sp.                                       1.5
                                                                Unidentified                                                                        15.3


                                            15                  Apogonidae                        Unidentified                                        1.2
                                                                Ariommaticlae                     A7iomma regulus*                                    1.4
                                                                Bothiclae                         Etropus crossotus                                   5.8
                                                                                                  E. microstomus                                      3.4
                                                                                                  Etropus sp.                                         7.0
                                                                                                  Paralichthys albigutta                              5.6
                                                                                                  P. dentatus                                         6.3
                                                                                                  P. lethostigma                                      5.0
                                                                                                  Paralichthys sp.                                    6.2
                                                                                                  Unidentified                                        3.2
                                                                Callionymidae                     Callionymus sp.                                     1.9
                                                                Carangidae                        Seriola dumefili                                    1.3
                                                                                                  Unidentified                                        3.2
                                                                Centrolophidae                    Hyperoglyphe sp.                                    1.0
                                                                Chaetodonticlae                   Chaetodon sp.                                       1.0
                                                                Clinidae                          Unidentified*                                       1.9
                                                                Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                               15.9
                                                                                                  Etrumeus teres                                    21.8
                                                                Cynoglossidae                     Symphurus sp.                                       2.7
                                                                Engrauliclae                      Anchoa hepsetus                                     1.7
                                                                                                  Engmulis emystole                                   1.3
                                                                Gadidae                           Enchelyopus cimbrius                                1.7
                                                                                                  Urophycisfloiidiana                                 9.7
                                                                                                  U. regia                                          16.3
                                                                Gobiidae                          Microgobius sp.                                     1.7
                                                                                                  Unidentified                                        3.0
                                                                Gonostomatidae                    Cyclothone sp.*                                     1.9
                                                                Labridae                          Hemipteronotus sp.                                  1.4
                                                                Lophiidae                         Lophius americanus                                  1.0
                                                                Malacanthiclae                    Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps                       1.9
                                                                Myctophidae                       Hygophum sp.*                                       1.0
                                                                                                  Unidentified*                                       2.2
                                                                Ophichthidae                      Unidentified                                        1.3
                                                                Ophidiidae                        Lepophidium profundorum*                            2.4
                                                                                                  Ophidion grayi                                      4.9
                                                                                                  Unidentified                                        4.2
                                                                Paralepididae                     Unidentified*                                       1.0
                                                                Sciaenidae                        Leiostomus xanthurus                              20.3
                                                                                                  Micropogonias undulatus                             2.7
                                                                Scorpaenidae                      Helicolenus dactylopterus                           1.5
                                                                Serranidae                        Anthias sp.                                         1.0
                                                                                                  Diplectrum sp.                                      2.1
                                                                Sparidae                          Lagodon rhomboides                                21.8
                                                                Stromateidae                      Peprilus hiacanthus                                 1.4







          24        NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120


                                                             Appendix Table 4 (Continued)

                                                                                                            Relative abundance
                            Station          Family                       Taxon                                (No./100 in')

                                             Syngnathidae                 Syngnathus sp.                              2.2
                                             Synodontidae                 Unidentified                                1.5
                                             Tetraodontidae               Unidentified                                1.3
                                             Triglidae                    Unidentified                                5.1
                                             Unidentified                                                           12.2


                            16               Ariommatidae                 Ariomma sp.                                 1.1
                                             Bothidae                     Bothus sp.                                  1.4
                                                                          Etropus Microstomus                         2.6
                                                                          Paralichthys sp.                            2.7
                                                                          Paralichthys sp.                            1.7
                                                                          Unidentified                              10.5
                                             Bregmacerotidae              Breg7naceros sp.*                           1.6
                                             Centriscidae                 Macroramphosus sp.**                        1.1
                                             Clupeidae                    Brevoortia tyrannus                         1.1
                                                                          Etru?neus teres                             2.2
                                             Gadidae                      Urophycisfloridiana                         8.0
                                                                          U, regia                                    2.8
                                                                          Urophycis sp.                             11.3
                                             Gobiidae                     Unidentified                                1.2
                                             Gonostomatidae               Cyclothone sp.*                             1.3
                                             Labridae                     Hemipteronotus sp.                          1.4
                                             Lophiidae                    Lophius americanus                          1.1
                                             Myctophidae                  Unidentified*                               1.5
                                             Ophichthidae                 Unidentified                                1.7
                                             Photicbthyidae               Vinciguerria nimbaria*                      1.1
                                             Sciaenidae                   Leiostomus xanthurus                        2.3
                                                                          Micropogonias undulatus                     1.1
                                             Scomberesocidae              Scomberesox saurus                          1.1
                                             Scorpaenidae                 Helicolenus dactylopterus                   5.3
                                                                          Unidentified                                1.4
                                             Serranidae                   Anthias sp.                                 1.1
                                                                          Diplectrum sp.                              1.1
                                                                          Unidentified                                1.4
                                             Synodontidae                 Unidentified                                2.2
                                             Triglidae                    Plionotus sp.                               2.2
                                             Unidentified                                                           15.3


                             17              Bothidae                     Bothus sp.                                  0.3
                                                                          Cithwichthys cornutus"                      0.3
                                                                          C gymnorhinus*                              0.3
                                                                          Citha7ichihys sp.                           0.3
                                                                          Etropus microstomus                         0.5
                                                                          Etropus sp.                                 0.9
                                                                          Paralichthys dentatus                       0.3
                                                                          Paralichthys sp.                            0.3
                                             Clupeidae                    Brevoortia tyrannus                         0.3
                                                                          Etru7neus teres                             3.8
                                             Congridae                    Unidentified                                0.3
                                             Cynoglossidae                Symphurus sp.                               0.5
                                             Engraulidae                  Engraulis eurystole                         0.3
                                             Gadidae                      Urophycis sp.                               6.5
                                             Gobiidae                     Unidentified                                0.5
                                             Gonostomatidae               Cyclothone sp.*                             1.4
                                                                          Gonostoma elongatum*                        0.3
                                                                          Unidentified*                               0.6
                                             Myctophidae                  Unidentified*                               2.7
                                             Nemichthyidae                Unidentified                                0.3
                                             Nomeidae                     Psenes Pellu cidus                          0.3







                                                                             Powell and Robbins: Ichthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina                               25


                                                                               Appendix Table 4 (Continued)

                                                                                                                                     Relative abundance
                                          Station           Family                            Taxon                                     (No./ 100 in')

                                                            Ophichthidae                      Ophichthus sp.                                   0.3
                                                                                              Unidentified                                     0.6
                                                            Ophidiidae                        Unidentified                                     0.9
                                                            Sciaenidae                        Leiostomus xanthurus                             0.3
                                                                                              Micropogonias undulatus                          0.3
                                                            Scomberesocidae                   Scomberesox saurus                               0.3
                                                            Scorpaenidae                      Helicolenus dactylopterus                        1.0
                                                            Stomiidae                         Unidentified*                                    0.3
                                                            Synodontidae                      Unidentified                                     0.7
                                                            Unidentified                                                                       7.7


                                          18                Bothidae                          Bothus sp.                                       0.8
                                                                                              Citha7ichthys gymnorhinus*                       0.8
                                                                                              Cyclopsettafimbriata                             0.3
                                                                                              Etropus SP.                                      0.4
                                                                                              Unidentified                                     1.2
                                                            Bregmacerotidae                   Bregmaceros sp.*                                 0.3
                                                            Callionymidae                     Unidentified                                     0.3
                                                            Carangidae                        Unidentified                                     0.6
                                                            Centriscidae                      Macroramphosus sp.**                             0.5
                                                            Centrolophidae                    Hyperoglyphe sp.                                 0.3
                                                            Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                              3.2
                                                                                              Etrumeus teres                                   10.2
                                                            Congridae                         Unidentified                                     0.3
                                                            Cynoglossidae                     Symphurus sp.                                    0.3
                                                            Gadidae                           Enchelyopus cimbrius                             0.3
                                                                                              Urophycis sp.                                    5.9
                                                            Gobiidae                          Unidentified                                     2.0
                                                            Gonostomatidae                    Cyclothone sp.*                                  1.3
                                                                                              Unidentified*                                    IA
                                                            Melamphaidae                      Melamphaes simms"                                0.3
                                                            Moridae                           Unidentified"                                    0.3
                                                            Myctophidae                       Unidentified*                                    1.8
                                                            Ophichthidae                      Ophichthus sp.                                   0.3
                                                                                              Unidentified                                     0.3
                                                            Paralepididae                     Lestidiops affinis*                              0.3
                                                            Photichthyidae                    Vinciguerria poweriae*                           1.1
                                                            Priacanthidae                     Unidentified                                     0.3
                                                            Scaridae                          Unidentified                                     0.3
                                                            Sciaenidae                        Leiostomus xanthurus                             1.8
                                                                                              Micropogonias undulatus                          0.3
                                                                                              Unidentified                                     0.3
                                                            Scomberesocidae                   Scomberesox saurus                               o.7
                                                            Scorpaenidae                      Helicolenus dactylopterus                        3.7
                                                                                              Unidentified                                     2.6
                                                            Serranidae                        Anthiinae                                        0.3
                                                                                              Serraninae                                       0.6
                                                            Synodontidae                      Unidentified                                     1.1
                                                            Tetraodontidae                    Unidentified                                     0.3
                                                            Unidentified                                                                       19.9







            26          NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120


                                                                               Appendix Table 5
                                 Relative abundance of ichthyoplankton by station during March 1980. Asterisks indicate taxa
                                 that are exclusively Caribbean (*) or exclusively lower shelf (**) (see definitions in Methods).

                                                                                                                              Relative abundance
                                 Station            Family                            Taxon                                       (No./ 100 in')

                                 11                 No larvae collected


                                 12                 Bothidae                          Paralichthys sp.                                  0.9
                                                    Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                               1.0
                                                    Unidentified                                                                        1.0


                                 13                 Bothidae                          Eiropus sp.                                       2.6
                                                                                      Paralichthys sp.                                  7.9
                                                    Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                               19.3
                                                    Gadidae                           Enchelyopus cimbrius                              2.6
                                                                                      Urophycis regia                                   2.9
                                                    Gonostomatidae                    Unidentified*                                     1.0
                                                    Myctophidae                       Hygophum sp.                                      2.7
                                                    Ophidiidae                        Unidentified                                      5.4
                                                    Sciaeniclae                       Leiostomus xanthurus                              2.3
                                                    Serranidae                        Diplectrum sp.                                    5.0
                                                    Sparidae                          Lagodon rhomboides                                3.9
                                                    Stromateidae                      Pepfilus ftiacanthus                              2.4
                                                    Syngnathidae                      Syngnathus sp.                                    1.0

                                 14                 Bothidae                          Etropus sp.                                       7.2
                                                                                      Paralichthys sp.                                  2.9
                                                    Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                               2.9
                                                    Cynoglossidae                     Symphurus diomedianus                             4.7
                                                                                      S. plagiusa                                       17.1
                                                    Gadidae                           Enchelyopus cimbiius                              1.1
                                                                                      Urophycis regia                                   3.8
                                                    Gobiidae                          Unidentified                                      2.9
                                                    Myctophidae                       Unidentified*                                     5.7
                                                    Photichthyidae                    Vinciguenia nimbayia*                             2.9
                                                    Sciaenidae                        Leiostomus xanthurus                              11.4
                                                                                      Micropogonias undulatus                           2.9
                                                    Synodontidae                      Synodussp.                                        2.3
                                                                                      Unidentified                                      5.7
                                                    Unidentified                                                                        7.0


                                 15                 Bothidae                          Etropus microstomus                               14.2
                                                                                      Paralichthys dentatus                             3.7
                                                                                      P. squamilentus                                   1.0
                                                    Bregmacerotidae                   Bregmaceros sp.*                                  1.1
                                                    Carangidae                        Unidentified                                      3.0
                                                    Centriscidae                      Macroramphosus sp.**                              1.0
                                                    Clupeidae                         Brevoortia tyrannus                               10.7
                                                                                      Etrumeus teres                                    11.6
                                                    Cynoglossidae                     Symphurus sp.                                     3.2
                                                    Gadidae                           Urophycisflofidiana                               12.2
                                                                                      U. regia                                          35.6
                                                    Gobiidae                          Unidentified                                      3.4
                                                    Gonostomatidae                    Cyclothone sp.*                                   1.1
                                                    Mullidae                          Mullus auratus                                    1.1
                                                    Myctophidae                       Ceratoscopelus sp.*                               1.1
                                                                                      Unidentified*                                     2.6
                                                    Ophidiidae                        Lepophidium profundorum"                          4.7
                                                                                      Ophidion grayi                                    11.9
                                                                                      0. selenops                                       6.3
                                                                                      Ophidion sp.                                      6.1
                                                                                      Unidentified                                      1.6






                                                                                Powell and Robbins: Ichthyoplankton in Onslow Bay, North Carolina                                  27


                                                                                  Appendix Table 5 (Continued)

                                                                                                                                          Relative abundance
                                           Station            Family                             Taxon                                       (No./100 M3)

                                                              Sciaenidae                         Leiostomus xanthurus                             13.5
                                                                                                 Micropogonias undulatus                            1.7
                                                                                                 Anthias sp.                                        2.2
                                                              Serranidae                         Centropiistis sp.                                  2.0
                                                                                                 Diplectrum sp.                                     4.7
                                                                                                 Mycteroperca sp.                                   2.4
                                                              Sparidae                           Lagodon rhomboides                                 8.8
                                                              Stromateidae                       Pepfilus triacanthus                               5.9
                                                              Syngnathidae                       Unidentified                                       2.0
                                                              Synodontidae                       Unidentified                                       2.3
                                                              Trigliclae                         P7ionotus sp.                                      1.0
                                                              Unidentified                                                                        14.7


                                           16                 Balistidae                         Canthidermis maculatus*                            1.1
                                                              Belonidae                          Unidentified                                       1.8
                                                              Bothidae                           Bothus sp.                                         1.7
                                                                                                 Cyclopsettafimbtiata                               1.4
                                                                                                 EtroPus sp.                                        4.1
                                                                                                 Paralichthys squamilentus                          1.1
                                                                                                 Unidentified                                       1.3
                                                              Bregmacerotidae                    Bregmaceros sp.*                                   1.7
                                                              Carangidae                         Oligoplites saurus                                 1.8
                                                                                                 Unidentified                                       0.9
                                                              Clupcidae                          Brevoortia tyrannus                                4.4
                                                                                                 Etrumeus teres                                   18.2
                                                              Cynoglossidae                      Symphurus sp.                                      1.8
                                                              Gadidae                            Urophycisfloiidiana                                1.8
                                                                                                 U. regia                                           4.5
                                                              Holocentridae                      Holocentrus sp.                                    1.7
                                                              Lophiidae                          Lophius americanus                                 3.2
                                                              Myctophidae                        Unidentified*                                      2.1
                                                              Ophichthidae                       Unidentified                                       1.8
                                                              Ophidiidae                         Ophidion selenops                                  1.1
                                                                                                 Unidentified                                       1.8
                                                              Photichthyidae                     Vincigumia nimba?ia*                               1.1
                                                              Sciaenidae                         Leiostomus xanthurus                               0.9
                                                              Scombridae                         Scomberjaponicus                                   3.6
                                                              Scorpaenidae                       Helicolenus dactylopterus                          1.7
                                                              Serranidae                         Anthias sp.                                        1.8
                                                                                                 Diplectrum sp.                                     1.7
                                                                                                 Epinephelini                                       2.0
                                                              Syngnathidae                       Unidentified                                       1.8
                                                              Synodontidae                       Unidentified                                       2.3
                                                              Tetraodontidae                     Sphoeroides sp.                                    1.8
                                                              Unidentified                                                                        15.5


                                           17                 Ariommatidae                       Ariomma regulus*                                   0.4
                                                              Blenniidae                         Unidentified                                       0.4
                                                              Bothidae                           Bothus sp.                                         1.0
                                                                                                 Citharich1hys sp.                                  0.4
                                                                                                 Etropus SP.                                        1.0
                                                              Bregmacerotidae                    Bregmaceros sp.*                                   0.4
                                                              Carangidae                         Unidentified                                       3.0
                                                              Clupeidae                          Brevoortia tyrannus                                6.9
                                                                                                 Etrumeus teres                                   20.6


                                                              Engraulidae                        Engraulis euiptole                                 0.4
                                                              Gobiidae                           Unidentified                                       1.0
                                                              Gonostomatidae                     Cyclothone sp.*                                    0.8







            28         NOAA Technical Report NMFS 120


                                                                    Appendix Table 5 (Continued)

                                                                                                                        Relative abundance
                                Station           Family                          Taxon                                    (No./ 100 in')

                                                  Kyphosidae                      Kyphosus sectatfix                              1.0
                                                  Lophiidae                       Lophius americanus                              1.0
                                                  Myctophidae                     Unidentified*                                   8.6
                                                  Nomeidae                        Psenes pellucidus*                              0.4
                                                  Sciacnidae                      Leiostomus xanthurus                            2.0
                                                  Scorpaenidae                    Helicolenus dactylopterus                       1.1
                                                  Serranidae                      CentroP7,istis sp.                              0.4
                                                  Synodontidae                    Trachinocephalus myops                          1.0
                                                                                  Unidentified                                    1.4
                                                  Triglidae                       Unidentified                                    2.0
                                                  Unidentified                                                                   26.5


                                18                Bothiclae                       Bothus sp.                                      1.1
                                                                                  Etropus microstomus                             1.1
                                                                                  Unidentified                                    0.4
                                                  Bregmacerotidae                 Bregmaceros sp.*                                0.8
                                                  Carangidae                      Decapterus sp.                                  1.1
                                                  Clupeidae                       Brevoortia tyrannus                             2.8
                                                                                  Etrumeus teres                                 10.2
                                                  Gempylidae                      Diplospinus multistriatus*                      0.4
                                                  Gobiidae                        Unidentified                                    1.1
                                                  Myctophidae                     Diogenichthys allanticus*                       0.4
                                                  Ophidiidae                      Unidentified                                    1.1
                                                  Photichthyidae                  Vinciguenia sp.*                                0.4
                                                  Scaridae                        Unidentified                                    1.1
                                                  Scombridae                      Scomberjaponicus                                2.1
                                                  Scorpacnidae                    Unidentified                                    0.4
                                                  Serranidae                      AnIhias sp.                                     0.4
                                                                                  Diplectrum sp.                                  0.7
                                                  Stromateidae                    Pep7ilus ftiacanthus                            1.1
                                                  Synodontidae                    Unidentified                                    0.8
                                                  Unidentified                                                                   18.9








                                               NOAA TECHNICAL REPORTS NMFS


                      The major responsibilities of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are to monitor and assess the abundance
                    and geographic distribution of fishery resources, to understand and predict fluctuations in the quantity and distribution of
                    these resources, and to establish levels for their optimum use. NMFS is also charged with the development and implemen-
                    tation of policies for managing national fishing grounds, with the development and enforcement of domestic fisheries
                    regulations, with the surveillance of foreign fishing off U.S. coastal waters, and with the development and enforcement of
                    international fishery agreements and policies. NMFS also assists the fishing industry through marketing services and
                    economic analysis programs and through mortgage insurance and vessel construction subsidies. It collects, analyzes, and
                    publishes statistics on various phases of the industry.



                                     Recently Published NOAA Technical Reports NMFS

                      109. Seasonal climatologies and variability of east-                             114. Structure and historical changes in the
                    ern tropical Pacific surface waters, by Paul C. Fiedler.                        groundfish complex of the eastern Bering Sea, by
                    April 1992, 65 p.                                                               Richard G. Bakkala. July 1993, 91 p.

                      110. The distribution of Kemp's ridley sea turtles                               115. Conservation biology of elasmobranchs, edited
                    (Lepidockelys kempt) along the Texas coast: an adas,                            by Steven Branstetter. September 1993, 99 p.
                    by Sharon A. Manzella, andjo A. Williams. May 1992, 52 p.
                                                                                                       116. Description of early larvae of four northern
                      111. Control of disease in aquaculture: proceed-                              California species of rockfishes (Scorpaeuidae:
                    ings of the nineteenth U.S.-Japan meeting on aquacul-                           Sebastes) from rearing studies, by Guillermo Moreno.
                    ture; Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan, 29-30 October 1990,                           November 1993, 18 p.
                    edited by Ralph S. Svrjcek. October 1992, 143 p.
                      112. Variability of temperature and salinity in the                              117. Distribution, abundance, and biological char-
                    Middle Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Maine, by Robert L.                           acteristics of groundfish off the coast of Washington,
                    Benway, Jack W. Jossi, Kevin P. Thomas, and Julien R.                           Oregon, and California, 1977-1986, by Thomas A. Dark
                    Goulet. April 1993, 108 p.                                                      and Mark E. Wilkins. May 1994, 73 p.

                      113. Maturation of nineteen species of finfish off the                           118. Pictorial guide to the groupers (Teleostei. Ser-
                    northeast coast of the United States, 1985-1990, by                             ranidae) of the western North Atlantic, by Mark Grace,
                    Loretta O'Brienjay Burnett, and Ralph K Mayo. June 1993, 66 p.                  Kevin R. Rademacher, and Mike Russell. May 1994, 46 p.




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