Acknowledgments

I am grateful to Professor L. R. Richardson for suggesting this study, for placing the Zoology Department's plankton collection at my disposal, and for his guidance throughout this work. I am indebted to the academic staff, technicians and students of the Zoology Department who assisted in collecting plankton from Wellington Harbour. I wish to thank Dr P. M. Ralph for identifying planktonic coelenterates, and Dr R. B. Pike (Marine Department) for assistance with literature on decapod larvae and for encouraging discussions and constructive criticism.