Preliminary results on fisheggs and fishlarvae from the CICAR (Cooperative investigation of the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions) cruises 1970 and 1971

As part of the Cooperative Investigations of the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (Cicar-project) plankton sampling was executed from 1970 to 1973. The cruises 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18 and 19 explored the area around Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, where the samples 1-98 (collected from 7 april to 21 july) and 200-214 (collected from 13 November to 18 December) were taken. (Fig.1) The area off the Guyana’s was explored by the cruises 15, 16 and 17 where the stations 99-199 (collected from 23 August to 3 November) were taken. (Fig.2) The net samples taken during cruise 10-19 are from 0 to 6 meters; only during cruise 13 and 14 also samples at 10, 18 and 27 meters were collected. During the cruises 22 and 23, in 1971, some additional net samples were taken. The nets used were open plankton nets of the Plymouth type, with 0,056 mm. diameter meshes. For the exact position of the stations and further information, one is refered to Van der Spoel and Koperdraat (1974). All samples were sorted. The fish eggs were counted and preserved in 4% formaline. The fish larvae were stained, mounted in 3486 slides and counted. All material collected is preserved in the Institute of Taxonomic Zoology of the University of Amsterdam.