Abstract

Taxonomic structure, abundance and distribution patterns of fish larvae were examined across a neritic-oceanic gradient off La Parguera during three cruises (Feb/95, Dec/95 and May/96). Sampling stations positioned at 6, 10, 13, 17, 29 and 46 km from the coastline were occupied along three transects for a total of 18 stations sampled per cruise. A total of 34,799 larval fishes were collected, representing 81 families, of which 56 were from coral reef fishes. Taxonomic structure at inshore stations was dominated by larvae of Clupeiformes. Gobiidae, Pomacentridae, Blennioidei, and Lutjanidae. The shelf-edge station presented a mixed taxonomic assemblage of reef and oceanic taxa. Gobiidae were the most abundant larvae at the shelf-edge followed by Myctophidae and various families of coral reef fishes. Beyond the shelf-edge, total fish larval abundance declined markedly due to a two-fold decline in abundance of coral reef taxa. Relative abundance of oceanic fish larvae increased across the oceanic gradient, but reef fish larvae were the numerically dominant assemblage up to 29 kms from the coastline. In general, larvae of fishes characterized as small demersal spawners observed neritic distributions. Reef fishes that are pelagic spawners with relatively longer larval duration had oceanic distributions, mostly within 20 km from the shelf-edge. Nevertheless, important exceptions to this generalized pattern emerge from this study.

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