Investigations on larvae of commercial fish from Hurghada, Red Sea with notes on the spawning seasons and grounds of some species

The present work deals with the study of the fish larvae of coral reef fishes in the Red Sea (Hurghada). It aimed to study the spatial and temporal variations of fish larvae for the management purposes. Sampling stations were Marina, Sheraton, Magawish and Arabia. The samples were taken monthly throughout the period of study from August 2014 to July 2015 using plankton net with different mesh size (150, 350, and 500 micron). The highest density of larvae was observed in July where841   larvae /1000m3 were collected whereas, the lowest density was recorded in March and October with11/1000 m3. The highest number of species was recorded in Sheraton with 28 species followed by Magawish with 27 species recorded followed by Marina with 26 species recorded while the lowest was recorded in Arabia with 25 species. Concentration of larvae was significantly different between months and sites. There was a significant difference in the number of species between months but not between stations. Larvae of mullid fish were abundant in summer while larvae of clupeids were taken all the year round.