Assemblage Structure of Ichthyoplankton and Its Relationship with Environmental Factors in Late Summer-Autumn and Winter in the Beibu Gulf, China

Being a biologically diversed hotspot in the global marine ecosystem, Beibu Gulf is inhabited by high diversity of fish and serves as vital fishing ground China. Due to continuous overfishing, fishery resource has drastically declined Gulf. However, information about ichthyoplankton assemblages this area still lacking. In present study, diversity, spatial temporal distribution patterns, assemblage structures were examined using specimens collected late summer–autumn winter 2022 Gulf, relationship between environmental variables was studied. A total 117 taxa, belonging 13 orders 42 families, recorded. The most abundant families Gerreidae, Leiognathidae, Sillaginidae summer–autumn, accounting for 38.74%, 27.95%, 9.94%, respectively. Sparidae, Platycephalidae, winter, 34.03%, 17.15%, 8.20%, Cluster analysis identified five summer-autumn four winter. characteristic species each cluster Terapon jarbua, Sillago sihama, Leiognathus brevirostris, Mene maculate, Scomberoides tol Scomberomorus commerson, Acanthopagrus latus, sp., Evynnis cardinalis results canonical correspondence indicated that pH, chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), depth, dissolved oxygen (DO), sea surface salinity (SSS), nitrogen (TN), phosphorus (TP) major affecting structure finding study will provide valuable conserving spawning grounds developing management practices protect resources