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Distribution and abundance of fish larvae in the northern Ionian Sea (Eastern Mediterranean)
- Source :
- Helgoland Marine Research. 65:381-398
- Publication Year :
- 2010
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2010.
-
Abstract
- The purpose of this paper was to study the spatial distribution, abundance and composition of fish larvae in the northern Ionian Sea. Samples were collected to the 600 m depth with an electronic multinet BIONESS during the “INTERREG Italia-Grecia” oceanographic cruise carried out in March 2000 off the Apulian Italian coast. A total of 46 species of teleost early stages were collected, belonging to 38 genera and 22 families. Over 52% of the larvae identified were mesopelagic species, almost 27% were demersal and about 21% pelagic. A total of 307 myctophids, 69 clupeids and 61 gadid post-larvae dominated the community. Benthosema glaciale (mean 6.1 mm SL) was the most abundant species (21.6%), the most frequent in the samples (28.8%), and dominant in the whole study area (mean 1.4 ind/100 m3). Particular attention was given to the horizontal and vertical distribution and abundance of the three dominant post-larval species: Benthosema glaciale, Sprattus sprattus sprattus and Notoscopelus elongatus. The Pearson coefficient (R = 0.734) showed a high correlation between total zooplankton and fish larval assemblages in terms of spatial distribution abundance values. Regarding the vertical distribution of fish larvae, Sorensen’s index (S = 0.69) showed that fish larvae and total zooplankton abundance peaks co-occurred along the water column.
Details
- ISSN :
- 14383888 and 1438387X
- Volume :
- 65
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Helgoland Marine Research
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....8b19e6522a46b0a6d80569a5095898b3