The larval and juvenile fish community in Pandan Bay, Panay Island, Philippines

Abstract

Long-term (1975-1977) collections of larval and juvelnile fish were made from 1) onshore, a sandy beach flanked by a coral terrace and a river mouth, and 2) 500m offshore in 30 m deep water in Pandan Bay. About 70 species in 47 families were recorded onshore and 120 specis in 74 families were recorded offshore over the two-year period. About 60 species were common to both stations. Metamorphic stage Mugilidae dominated the onshore catch (75% of 587 samples), followed by Ambassis ssp. (55%) and Chanos chanos (48%). Predominant in the offshore station were larval Stolephorus spp. and Sardinella spp., occurring in 79% and 62% of 345 samples, respectively. Apogonidae, Leiognathidae, Gobiidae, Dussumieria sp., Caesio spp., Upeneus spp. larval, and the neotenic fish, Schindleria praematura, each occured in 20-40% of the offshore samples. Siganus spp., Lutjanus spp., Sphyraena spp. occured in considerable numbers onshore. Offshore, the first two species occured in higher, and the latter two in lower relative abundance. Mugilidae and Chanos chanos were also relatively less abundant offshore. Larvae of many inshore and pelagic fishery species like Carangidae, Scombridae and Bothidae occured at the offshore station together with larvae of coral reefs species like Pomacentrus spp. and the mesopelagic species like Benthosema spp. and Lestidiops sp.