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Distribution and abundance of ichthyoplankton in the Manicouagan River estuary, a tributary of the lower St. Lawrence estuary

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Abstract

The species composition and relative abundance of ichthyoplankton were investigated during summer 1986 at four stations along the salinity gradient in the Manicouagan River estuary, a tributary of the lower St. Lawrence estuary. Physical characteristics of water masses indicated the presence of a strong saline front (>10‰ per km) delineating the freshwater and marine section of the Manicouagan estuary. The estuary supports a depauperate ichthyoplankton community, including four species of pelagic fish eggs and eight species of fish larvae. Species richness increased with salinity. The ichthyoplankton fauna can be divided into two distinct groups: freshwater and marine. These two groups result initially from spawning preferences exhibited by the different species abundance of freshwater larvae was maximal at the head of the estuary and marine larvae were most abundant at the most saline station. The length frequency distribution suggests that marine larvae are not effectively retained within the estuary. The Manicouagan estuary cannot be considered as a major spawning site nor an important nursery zone for any fish found in this area.

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  1. Pêches et Océans Canada Division Océanographie Biologique, Institut Maurice Lamontagne, 850 Route de la Mer, G5H 3Z4, Mont-Joli, Québec, Canada

    Yves de Lafontaine

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de Lafontaine, Y. Distribution and abundance of ichthyoplankton in the Manicouagan River estuary, a tributary of the lower St. Lawrence estuary. Estuaries 13, 43–50 (1990). https://doi.org/10.2307/1351431

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1351431

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