Distribuição e abundância do ictioplâncton na região do porto do Pecém, Estado do Ceará

Abstract

The research on ichthyoplankton is of utmost relevance to fully understand the functioning of marine ecosystems. Although such studies are frequent in many regions of the planet, there is no information about the ichthyoplankton for the coast of Ceará State. In order to change this situation, the distribution and abundance of fish eggs and larvae from fish inhabiting the neighboring waters of the Pecém harbor were studied. A total of 28 samples were collected in four different campaigns during 2006. The samples were sorted and identified in the laboratory, totaling 4,320 eggs and 1.410 larvae of fish, out of which 1,395 larvae were identified pertaining to 13 lower taxa (genera or species), three orders and nine families. The ichthyoplankton from the studied area comprised three categories of families: pelagic, reef associated and demersal, with a prevalence of the first. Fish eggs were most abundant during the rainy season, while larvae numbers were larger during the dry months. The families Engraulidae and Serranidae were the most representative throughout the studied period and region.