Abstract

ORDONEZ-LOPEZ, Uriel et al. Temporal variation of ichthyoplankton sampling with light traps in Chuburna and Yucalpeten, Yucatan, Mexico. Hidrobiológica [online]. 2013, vol.23, n.2, pp.265-273. ISSN 0188-8897.

Fish larvae associated to the inlet of Yucatan, México ports of Chuburná and Yucalpeten were analyzed with light traps along an annual cycle (2009). A total of 193 fish larvae with average size of 1.5 ± 0.2 cm was captured; they represented 13 species distributed in six fish families. Eucinostomus argenteus (45.1%), Sardinella aurita (30.1%) and Harengula jaguana (7.3%) were most abundant species, together they constituted 82.5% of the captured larvae. The family Gerreidae was the most diverse, with three species. Eucinostomus argenteus was dominant in Chuburná whereas Sardinella aurita and Hrengula jaguana were so in Yucalpeten. The greatest larval abundance and diversity were recorded in Chuburna, but the greatest size average was recorded in Yucalpeten. The temporal variation of the structural components was related to the hydrologic regimen of each locality, also, fish larvae abundance was lower but similar to the reported of another coastal systems of the Yucatan Peninsula. Finally, the utilization of light traps is a complement to plankton net surveys and helps to understand the communities of coastal fish larvae.

Keywords : Fish Larvae; Lagoon; light traps; Mexico; Yucatan.