Les larves de poissons teleosteens le long des cotes Est tunisiennes : distribution et abondance

Abstract

An ichthyoplankton survey was carried out on 24th June to 7th July 2008 along the eastern Tunisian coast from Cap Bon to Ras Kapoudia. The study deals with larval teleost fish assemblage and assess the impact of environmental factors on their spatial distribution. A total of 10832 fish larvae were identified belonged to 46 different taxa. Larval spatial distribution showed a high interspecific variability depending on the species if it’s a neritic, mesopelagic or pelagic species. Several factors affected the fish larval distribution. The first one is the complex circulation of water masses, which is responsible for the distribution of larvae on areas distant from their spawning sector. The depth gradient and the habitat of adults are also two factors which play an important role in the distribution of larvae mainly in the case of mesopelagic and neritic fish.