Larval fish assemblages of myctophids in the deep water region of the southern Gulf of Mexico linked to oceanographic conditions

Zooplankton summer composition in the southern Gulf of Mexico with emphasis on salp and hyperiid amphipod assemblages

“…Furthermore, the prevalence of bryozoan and gastropod larvae at several stations in 2015 suggests that mesoscale features may be acting as a dispersal mechanism for some taxa in the GOM. Similarly, Daudén-Bengoa (2017) found similarities in the fish larval assemblages between YC stations and stations in the region of influence of the LC and in anticyclonic eddies.…”

“…For example, a higher proportion of larvae (of bryozoans, polychaetes and gastropods), as well as salps and amphipods explained the differences in community structure between samples collected in 2015 and 2016, particularly at YC stations. Higher proportions of larval forms have been reported during summer and autumn for different sectors of the GOM as a result of higher reproductive activity (Hopkins, 1982; Gasca et al ., 2001; Elliott et al ., 2012; Rowe, 2017; Daudén-Bengoa et al , 2020). Additionally, the dominance of larvae in YC is not surprising, since the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula has a narrow continental shelf with extensive and productive reef zones, from which larval stages of benthic fauna may be transported by the dominant northward Yucatan Current into the GOM interior (Suárez-Morales & Arriaga, 1998; Álvarez-Cadena et al ., 2009).…”

“…Thus, in both summers, a similar spatial distribution emerged, where stations located to the north (~22°N) tended to cluster and were distinct from those to the south, suggesting the existence of common environmental features within those regions and some homogeneity in their epipelagic assemblages. Characteristics of the salp and amphipod assemblages in those sectors are similar to those depicted for other taxa (Gasca, 1999; Gasca et al ., 2001; Suárez-Morales et al ., 2002; Daudén-Bengoa, 2017) where stations in anticyclonic LC eddies characterized by a warmer upper layer tended to sustain lower abundances and fewer species than southern stations associated with cyclonic circulation. Similar studies that characterized the oceanic sector of the GOM also differentiated the Bay of Campeche from the sector immediately north to the bay.…”

Distribution and densities of fish larvae species with contrasting life histories as a function of oceanographic variables in the deep-water region of the southern Gulf of Mexico

“…Larval fish studies in the GoM that include species with contrasting life histories have mainly focused on larval fish assemblages, in which groups of species are considered an entity [ 50 , 51 ]. For example, Muhling et al .…”

“…Daudén-Bengoa et al . [ 51 ] suggested that adult distribution and spawning drove the species composition and distribution of larval assemblages of lanternfishes (Myctophidae) in the deep-water region, rather than larval transport. Therefore, this study will allow to comprehend how same environmental conditions correlate differently depending on the species’ contrasting life histories.…”