Arvoredo Island, located in Santa Catarina state - south Brazil, and its surrounding area were defined as a Conservation Unit (CU) in the category of Biological Reserve since 1990. This research aimed to analyze the inter-annual and seasonal (winter and summer) variations of ichthyoplankton densities at Arvoredo Biology Marine Reserve (ABMR), and their relationship with environmental variables in 1997/1998 (Campaign 1), 2007/2008 (Campaign 2) and 2008/2009 (Campaign 3). Fish eggs and larvae were sampled using a WP-2 net with 200 µm mesh size. The study area was influenced by three water masses, (i) Coastal Water throughout the whole year, (ii) Subtropical Shelf Water during the winter, and (iii) South Atlantic Central Water mainly in summer. A total of 4,891 eggs were collected and classified as Engraulidae and Sardinella brasiliensis (Clupeidae). The total number of larvae was 467 belonging to 5 orders, 19 families, and 21 species. Taxonomic composition demonstrated a seasonal pattern among periods, with the highest densities of Engraulidae occurring in winter and the families Carangidae, Clupeidae and Gerreidae in summer. The high number of families and abundance of ichthyoplankton observed in ABMR may be important in supplying the adjacent coastal areas impacted by fishing.
Biodiversity; Conservation Unit; Fish eggs; Fish larvae
