Influences of El Niño on assemblages of mesopelagic fish larvae along the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur

Seasonal assemblages of mesopelagic fish larvae and changes related with environmental factors (plankton biomass, sea surface temperature anomaly, upwelling, and the multivariate El Niño index) were investigated. From 1982 to 1987, 16 oceanographic cruises were carried out along the Pacific coast of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fisheries oceanography 2006-05, Vol.15 (3), p.244-255
Main Authors: FUNES-RODRÍGUEZ, RENÉ, HINOJOSA-MEDINA, ALEJANDRO, ACEVES-MEDINA, GERARDO, JIMÉNEZ-ROSENBERG, SYLVIA P. A., JESÚS BAUTISTA-ROMERO, J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Baja California coast
Bathylagus ochotensis
Benthosema panamense
California Current
Diaphus
Diogenichthys laternatus
Diplophos
El Niño
fish larvae assemblages
Leuroglossus stilbius
Marine
Melamphaes lugubris
mesopelagic
Original
Protomyctophum crockeri
Symbolophorus californiensis
Triphoturus mexicanus
Vinciguerria lucetia
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Summary:Seasonal assemblages of mesopelagic fish larvae and changes related with environmental factors (plankton biomass, sea surface temperature anomaly, upwelling, and the multivariate El Niño index) were investigated. From 1982 to 1987, 16 oceanographic cruises were carried out along the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Larvae of 42 mesopelagic fish taxa were collected. Larval abundance was highly variable during the studied period, but summer months coincided with higher abundance (>200 larvae under 10 m2). Larval assemblages were dominated by three of the most common species of tropical (Vinciguerria lucetia, Diogenichthys laternatus) and subtropical affinity (Triphoturus mexicanus). A group of species of tropical affinity (Diplophos proximus, Diaphus pacificus, Benthosema panamense) was useful for distinguishing the 1982–84 El Niño event, and an assemblage of larvae of temperate affinity (Symbolophorus californiensis, Melamphaes lugubris, Bathylagus ochotensis, Leuroglossus stilbius, Protomyctophum crockeri) characterized ‘normal’ years (mid‐1984 to mid‐1987).
ISSN:1054-6006
1365-2419
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2419.2005.00388.x