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Oceanographic scenario and fish larval distribution off Guinea-Bissau (north-west Africa)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2014

M.P. Jiménez ,
R.F. Sánchez-Leal ,
C. González ,
E. García-Isarch  and
A. García
M.P. Jiménez*
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía. C. O. de Cádiz. Puerto Pesquero, Muelle de Levante s/n. 11006 Cádiz, Spain
R.F. Sánchez-Leal
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía. C. O. de Cádiz. Puerto Pesquero, Muelle de Levante s/n. 11006 Cádiz, Spain
C. González
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía. C. O. de Cádiz. Puerto Pesquero, Muelle de Levante s/n. 11006 Cádiz, Spain
E. García-Isarch
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía. C. O. de Cádiz. Puerto Pesquero, Muelle de Levante s/n. 11006 Cádiz, Spain
A. García
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía. C. O. de Málaga. Puerto Pesquero, s/n. 29640 Fuengirola, Spain
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: M.P. Jiménez, Instituto Español de Oceanografía. C. O. de Cádiz. Puerto Pesquero, Muelle de Levante s/n. 11006 Cádiz, Spain email: paz.jimenez@cd.ieo.es
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Abstract

This paper describes the hydrography and the larval fish assemblage of Guinea Bissau waters, and analyses the spatial distribution of the main families in relation to the oceanographic features of the area. Data were obtained during an oceanographic survey, undertaken between October and November 2008. In addition to 98 demersal fishing hauls, a total of 33 stations, located between 20 and 1000 m depth, were sampled for hydrography and ichthyoplankton. Data showed that Guinea-Bissauan surface waters are characterized by a strong thermohaline front that flows parallel to the bathymetry of the area. Warm surface waters (SST > 29°C) occupy the inner shelf, and colder (SST < 26°C), chlorophyll-a-rich waters take over the shelf break. Continental runoff seems responsible for the low salinity of the inner-shelf waters whereas the colder types bear thermohaline features typical of tropical Atlantic waters. These features define a scenario which favours the development of fish early life stages, reflected in the high abundance and diversity of fish larvae recorded. A total of 84 taxa of fish larvae were identified. Only the family Clupeidae accounted for 54.8% of the sampled larvae. Other important families were Carangidae (8.8%), Sparidae (8.4%) and Myctophidae (5.9%).

Keywords

Guinea-Bissauoceanographyremotely sensed patternsichthyoplanktonlarvaespatial distributionsurveyclupeidssardinellas
Type
Review Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 95 , Issue 3 , May 2015 , pp. 435 - 452
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2014 

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