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Larvae of sprat (Sprattus sprattus) from mixed and stratified water column sites in the German Bight of the North Sea were assessed for nutritional condition by analysis of total carbon and nitrogen and the lipid fractions triacylglycerol (TAG), cholesterol, and polar lipids. There was no indication of any significant variation in condition index related to diel sampling periodicity, based either on percentage carbon composition or TAG/cholesterol ratio. Inclusion of growth data from otolith ring counts with the carbon and lipid results identified larvae at 9-10 mm in length as being in relatively poor condition. There was some evidence from carbon analysis to suggest that larvae in poor condition were more prevalent at the stratified site than the mixed; however, microzooplankton analysis showed mean food abundance for larvae was slightly higher at the mixed site. The results from the condition analyses and the validity of the methods is discussed in relation to studies of survival of fish larvae. Copyright 1994, 1999 Academic Press