The role of protists in the diet of larval Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) was examined using a natural assemblage of microplankton (10-200 µm) in laboratory incubations in May and June of 2008. Available prey consisted of protists (diatoms, dinoflagellates, aloricate ciliates, and loricate ciliates) and metazoans (trochophores, bivalve larvae, rotifers, copepod nauplii, and gastropod larvae). We used a prey enumeration technique that included soft-bodied heterotrophic protists (aloricate ciliates and athecate dinoflagellates) in the diet. We observed significant consumption of aloricate ciliates, loricate ciliates, bivalve larvae, dinoflagellates, and 73-200 µm available prey. Clearance rates (ml larva -1 h -1 ) were used as a measure of prey selectivity. The herring larvae showed strong selection for bivalve larvae and 73-200 µm available prey. Protists were selected for at rates comparable to metazoans. Ingestion rates (µg C larva -1 h -1 ) showed that the majority of larval carbon intake was from diatoms and aloricate ciliates. The results of this study illustrate that there is a direct trophic link between larval iv herring and the microbial loop, and protists may comprise a substantial portion of the larval fish diet, possibly alleviating food limitation.