Species composition and abundance distribution of ichthyoplankton in the Pearl River Estuary

Based on the results from four cruises of oceanographic survey carried out in 2006 to 2007 in the Pearl River Estuary, the species composition, dominant species and abundance distribution of ichthyoplankton were studied. The abundance distributions with hydrological characteristic and environmental factors were also analyzed. A total of 113 ichthyoplankton taxa were identified, and the species of ichthyoplankton in spring were more than those in the other seasons. There were four dominant species of fish eggs: Stolephorus commersonii, Thryssa sp., Leiognathus sp. and Johnius sp. There were six dominant species of fish larvae: Sardinella sp., Stolephorus commersonii, Leiognathus sp., Johnius sp., Gobiidae gen. sp., and Callionymus sp. The variation in the abundance of four seasons was conspicuous. The largest abundance of fish eggs occurred in spring, and the largest abundance of fish larvae occurred in both spring and summer. The variation of the Pearl River runoff and tide was important influential to the di