Temporal and spatial variability of ichthyoplankton assemblages in the Eastern Tropical Pacific off Colombia

We investigated the spatiotemporal variability of the ichthyoplankton assemblages along the northern Pacific coast of Colombia. This region is characterized by high biodiversity and important artisanal fisheries, yet knowledge of the dynamics of the early life history of fish is scarce. Three sites (north: 6.3°N, central: 5.7°N, south: 4.9°N) were sampled every other month for a year, covering a gradient of varying coastal geomorphology along ∼240 km of the coast. Fish larvae abundances were significantly higher at the southern site (LMEM, p