Fish larvae in Bahía Sebastián Vizcaíno and the adjacent oceanic region, Baja California, México.

Abstract

The taxonomic composition of the fish larvae assemblage of Bahía Sebastián Vizcaíno and the adjacentoceanic region is presented based on oblique zooplankton hauls made during 12 oceanographic surveys between fall1997 and fall 2000. In total, 186 taxa representing 71 families were collected. Myctophidae, Phosichthyidae, andEngraulidae were the most abundant during winter and Myctophidae, Merlucciidae, and Bathylagidae during spring. Insummer and fall Phosichthyidae and Myctophidae were the most abundant. During 1999 and 2000, seasonal variabilitywas identified in the area by the fish larvae composition, defining winter and fall as a low diversity period and springand summer as a high diversity period. Interannual variability was detected with an El Niño event, with higher larvalabundances of tropical and subtropical taxa, and a La Niña event, with high abundances of larvae of Engraulis mordax.