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Vol. 51 No. 5, 2012
Community Structure of Larval Fishes from the Southeastern Taiwan Strait: Linked to Seasonal Monsoon-driven Currents
Hung-Yen Hsieh1,2,3, Wen-Tseng Lo4, and Long-Jing Wu3,*
1Institute of Marine Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien 974, Taiwan
2National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung 944, Taiwan
3Coastal and Offshore Resources Research Center,
Fisheries Research Institute of the Council of Agriculture, Executive
Yuan, Kaohsiung 806, Taiwan
4Institute of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwa
Hung-Yen Hsieh, Wen-Tseng Lo, and Long-Jing Wu (2012) This
study analyzed the spatiotemporal patterns of larval fish assemblages
in relation to hydrographic conditions during 2 distinct monsoon
seasons (Sept. 2009 vs. Apr. 2011) in the southeastern Taiwan
Strait. In total, 128 taxa of larval fishes belonging to 76
genera and 61 families were identified. Larvae collected in the
study were a combination of neritic and oceanic species. The
Clupeidae, Siganidae, Bregmacerotidae, Myctophidae, and Trichiuridae
were the 5 most dominant families. Encrasicholina heteroloba (13.7%) and Sardinops
sp. (26.3%) were the most abundant taxa in Sept. and Apr.,
respectively. Larval fish assemblages showed significant seasonal
and spatial differences. The distribution pattern of larval fish
assemblages was closely linked to local hydrographic conditions, with
high abundances in Apr. and at inshore stations. The mechanism of
spring spawning of coastal fishes and the input of rich nutrients from
the southwestern coast of Taiwan may be 2 important factors affecting
the distribution of larval fish assemblages in the study area.
Some oceanic larvae, such as Sigmops gracilis and Vinciguerria nimbaria,
may also be carried by the penetrating Kuroshio Branch Current driven
by the seasonal monsoon from waters east of Taiwan into the
southeastern Taiwan Strait.
Key words: Larval fish, Composition, Monsoon, Kuroshio, Taiwan Strait.
*Correspondence: Tel: 886-7-8218103 ext. 200. Fax: 886-7-8218205. E-mail:l-j.wu@mail.tfrin.gov.tw
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