Distribution and abundance of fish larvae in the northern Ionian Sea (Eastern Mediterranean) |
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Authors: | Antonia Granata Annaluce Cubeta Roberta Minutoli Alessandro Bergamasco Letterio Guglielmo |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Animal Biology and Marine Ecology, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy;(2) CNR-Istituto per l’Ambiente Marino Costiero, Sezione di Messina, Spianata S. Raineri 86, 98122 Messina, Italy; |
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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. |
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