Abstract

This work is based on 17 samples of Ichthyoplankton collected in the Cariaco Basin on September of 2008 on board the RV Hermano Ginés and corresponds to one period(rainy season) of the two oceanographic campaign made within the framework of the Cariaco Project in the two climatic periods that ocurr in the region. For the tows, a conical-cylinder net was used of 70 cm diameter with a mesh size of 200 µm, towed through the water up to 200 m according to the bathymetry of the area. A digital flowmeter was installed in the mouth of the net to determine the volume of filtered water. The values obtained were standardized in numbers of individuals by 100m³ in order of not excluding the less abundant families. A total of 7164 larvae corresponding to 11 orders and 38 families were identified. Bregmaceros and Engraulidos were the most abundant groups, reaching 70% of the total of larvae caught in the campaign. For the Bregmaceros, the highest densities were registered in the stations located away from the coast, whereas for the Engraulidos were in the one closer to shore. Other families present in smaller density were Clupeidae, Myctophidae, Gonostomatidae, Carangidae, Gobiidae, and Bothidae. A high density of early larvae, prelarvae and eggs were found, which indicates a recent egg-laying in that area. We analyze the physicochemical factors that could affect composition and distribution of zooplankton community.

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