FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE,MOA,TAIWAN

This study investigated the species composition and distribution of ichthyoplankton in relation to seawater temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a, and copepod abundance in Kaoping coastal waters. One hundred and eighty-four larval fish species, belonging to 130 genera and 69 families, were identified in the study. The mean abundance was 391 ± 75 ind./100m³ during the sampling period between June 1999 and June 2001. Generally, the ichthyoplankton abundance showed significantly seasonal changes, with lowest in winter and up to highest value in summer. The 10 most significant taxa were Sillago japonica, Engraulis japonicus, Tridentiger obscurus, unidentified Gobiidae, Pagrus major, Scomberoides lysan, Leiognathus nuchalis, Ceratoscopelus warmingi, Scatophagus argus, and Diogenichthys laternatus, and accounted to 67% of the total ichthyoplankton abundance. The correlation coefficients showed that total abundance of ichthyoplankton and the most dominant taxa were positively related to temperature, chlorophyll a, and copepod abundance but negatively related to salinity. It suggested that the amount of rainfall and food source may be key factors to determine the abundance and distribution of ichthyoplankton in Kaoping coastal waters.