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Advances in the aquatic sciences
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Vertical distribution patterns of ichthyoplankton in temperate waters of New Zealand

M. J. Kingsford https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1704-6198 A B * and R. G. Cole B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia.

B Leigh Marine Laboratory, University of Auckland, RD Leigh, Warkworth, New Zealand.

C Deceased, formerly at NIWA, PO Box 893, Nelson, New Zealand.

* Correspondence to: michael.kingsford@jcu.edu.au

Handling Editor: Max Finlayson

Marine and Freshwater Research 73(4) 503-519 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF21282
Submitted: 21 December 2020  Accepted: 1 December 2021   Published: 31 January 2022

© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing.

Abstract

Multifactorial sampling designs were used to determine the vertical distribution of ichthyoplankton at multiple temporal and spatial scales in New Zealand. Hypotheses concerning the vertical distribution of fish larvae were tested in the following: depth strata, surface, near-surface, mid-depth and deep, and near the substratum. The consistency of abundance patterns was examined at three sites separated by 2–20 km over 2 months. We also tested for differences in shallow water columns of two depths (20 and 40 m) and both day and night. Although peak abundance of total larval fish was found at upper and lower strata, regardless of total depth of the water column, consistent taxa specific patterns of vertical distribution were also found. Some taxa were most abundant at the surface (e.g. mullids, hemiramphids, and kyphosids), whereas others were found at multiple depths below the surface and throughout the water column, regardless of site, time or depth of water column (e.g. carangids, engraulids, clupeids, scombrids, sparids and pleuronectids). Some taxa were most abundant in shallow water columns (e.g. mullids, tripterygiids and gobiids). Rank abundance by depth stratum for non-surface dwelling species varied among sites and times. Diel vertical movements were detected, some taxa (e.g. clupeids, scombrids and bothids) that were most abundant at the surface at night whereas for other taxa this pattern was more variable (e.g. carangids). We conclude that diel depth-related patterns in shallow water columns will influence interactions among taxa and the importance of different transport mechanisms for larval transport.

Keywords: diel movements, fish larvae, ichthyoplankton, larval transport, oceanography, ontogeny, vertical distribution, vertical migration, water column depth.


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