Larval Spatiotemporal Distribution of Six Fish Species: Implications for Sustainable Fisheries Management in the East China Sea

The larval distributions of the small-sized fishes Omobranchus elegans, Erisphex pottii, Benthosema pterotum, Acropoma japonicum, Upeneus bensasi, and Apogonichthys lineatus in the East China Sea ecosystem are important due to their ecological and economic benefits. To date, however, there have been few studies describing their population distributions and dynamics. In the current study, ichthyoplankton surveys were carried out from April to July 2018 to analyze variations in the larval abundance, distribution, and development stages of these species. In addition, the spatiotemporal larval distribution was investigated in terms of measured environmental variables. It was found that larvae were mainly distributed at depths of 5.00–66.00 m, in areas with sea surface temperature of 4.40–29.60 °C, sea surface salinity of 16.54–34.60 psu, pH of 7.00–9.00, and dissolved oxygen concentration of 2.54–8.70 mg/L. Benthosema pterotum and A. lineatus migrated from 30.00–31.00° N 123.17–123.50° E in June to 30.00–32.50° N 122.22–123.50° E in July. The results of this study can help to preserve spawning and nursery grounds and contribute to sustainable coastal fisheries management.