Nutritional relationships between fish pelagic larvae and planktonic organisms in adjacent Kamchatka waters

Abstract

The nutritional relations between fish larvae and zooplankton organisms in marine waters off Kamchatka Peninsula based on the ichthyoplankton samples as well as changes in the diet of fish larvae in Kamchatka waters are considered. In spring, the most suitable food organisms for small fish larvae are polychaeta larvae, Cirripedia and Calanoida nauplii, small forms of copepods, mollusks, juveniles of amphipods. In early summer larvae of Polychaeta, nauplii of Cirripedia and Calanoida, small forms of Cladocera and Copepoda are also available. The main forage organisms for larger larvae are furcilia and calyptopis of euphausiids, small larvae of Decapoda. In the second half of summer, larger forms, mainly of the same organisms, are available for late larvae of many fishes. The relationship between the distribution of marine fish larvae and zooplankton organisms is shown. A list of available food organisms for fish larvae during pelagic development has been compiled. Three main trophic groups have been proposed.