Composición y variabilidad del ictioplancton de la laguna El Quelele, Nayarit, México

Abstract

This study presents an analysis of a spatial and temporal variation of ichthyoplankton abundance in the lagoon El Quelele, Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit. Twenty diurnal plankton tows were conducted seasonally from spring to winter 2001. Of twenty total samples of zooplankton 224,4 fish larvae were obtained, represented by six families eight genera and six species, being Engraulis mordax the most abundant species (68 org. m-3), followed by Dormitator latifroms (37 org. m-3) and Trachinotus rhodopus (18 org. m-3). Variations of the spatio-temporal abundance were influenced by surface temperature (29,8-31,6°C) and salinity (11-34,8 psu) as well as by tidal conditions and season. The highest concentrations occurred during autumn (81 org. m-3) and winter (43 org. m-3) associated to the cold season, and smallest abundances in spring (21 org. m-3) and summer associated to the warm season and abundant rains; in summer, no larvae were captured. The Shannon index showed that site of sampling 1 presented the highest diversity value (1,47) whereas, by season diversity was practically homogenous. Cluster analysis showed greater affinity between sites 2 and 3 (1,05) and between cold months (autumn and winter) with a value of 0,83.