Kinds, Abundance and Distribution of the Fish Larvae in the South China Sea, Area I: Gulf of Thailand and East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Fish larvae samples were obtained from 81 stations in the Gulf of Thailand and the east coast of (Peninsular) Malaysia during the pre-northeast monsoon season (4 Sept - 4 Oct 1995) and the post-northeast monsoon (23 Apr - 23 May 1996). About 30 minutes were needed to obtain the samples from the surface layer and an obligue haul at each station. Around 73 families and 97 species of fish larvae were found among these pre and post-northeast monsoon specimens. For the pre-northeast monsoon sampling, there were 10,422 individuals from 66 families and 91 species in the surface horizontal hauls and 34,779 individuals from 63 families and 84 species in the obligue hauls. The post-northeast monsoon collection showed 11,875 individuals from 54 families and 74 species in the surface horizontal hauls and 32,541 individuals from 53 families and 73 species in the oblique hauls. From the surface layer, the most abundant larvae were Stolephorus sp., Sardinella sp., Gobiidae and Upeneus sp. respectively. Specimens from the oblique hauls showed Gobiidae, Stolephorus sp., Bregmaceres rarisquamosus and Nemipterus sp. to be most abundant in the collection.