Introduction

This manual is intended as a guide for the identification of early life history (ELH) stages of marine fishes from the western central Atlantic Ocean. This manual covers the eggs, larvae, and juveniles of all the families of fishes found in this area with the exception of those with leptocephalous larvae (Subdivision Elopamorpha which includes the Orders Elopiformes, Albuliformes, Anguilliformes, and Saccopharyngiformes) as these have recently been treated in a volume of the Fishes of the western North Atlantic (Smith 1989). A large number of ELH stages of these fishes are unknown and this study brings together all the published information plus original research results. The manual provides information designed to identify these ELH stages which are generally collected by plankton nets. Larvae are much better known than the eggs because the eggs go through their developmental stages quite rapidly (24-48 hrs) and many are very similar in appearance. Juveniles are better known than larvae because most resemble adults. The groups are treated by family with a separate chapter devoted to each family. The family chapters consist of an introduction which includes a brief synopsis of the family and information on the status of ELH stage identification. This is followed by tables of meristic data as counts are very useful. The bulk of the chapter includes accounts of lower taxa, usually species, with the left hand page giving detailed information and the right hand page devoted to illustrations. Much information on the ELH of fishes is given in the book Systematics and Ontogeny of Fishes (Moser et al. 1984) and it should be used as a companion guide to this manual. Just as the major portions of this book were being completed, Carpenter’s (2003a) monumental book The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Atlantic appeared that treats all the adult fishes from this area. This three volume work is listed on the cover as published in 2002, but it did not actually get printed and distributed until 2003. Not all of the chapters in this book cite the corresponding chapters in Carpenter (2003a) because many were completed prior to 2003.