Yucatan shelf’s larval density and distribution of Auxis spp. and Caranx crysos are primarily driven by regional upwelling and seasonality

Abstract

The extensive Yucatan Shelf (YS) in the southern Gulf of Mexico provides habitat for many marine species and supports important fisheries. A striking feature is the regional upwelling along its eastern margin due to the interaction of the Yucatan Current with the western slope of the Yucatan Channel. Coupled with easterly winds, the upwelled water fertilizes the shelf and contributes to high productivity in an otherwise oligotrophic region. However, an understanding of the role that regional upwelling plays on fish spawning and larval fish distributions is limited. We describe the distribution, frequency of occurrence, and densities of two commercially important neritic species (Auxis spp. and Caranx crysos) with contrasting life histories (different adult habitat, neritic vs. neritic and oceanic, and with spawning peak vs. year around spawner). The relationship between larval density and environmental variables, including upwelling indicators, was examined for three oceanographic cruises that covered the entire YS and which were held during summer through fall (2015, 2016 and 2018). None (Auxis spp.) or very few (C. crysos) larvae were caught during the late fall cruise in November. The highest densities of both taxa were found during the summer cruise in July, consistent with their spawning periods. Both species were mostly distributed beyond the 40 m isobath, and the highest densities were found over the central and eastern shelf. Generalized additive models indicated that Auxis spp. and C. crysos densities were correlated with low chlorophyll a concentration (located in the outer shelf) and a shallower 22.5 °C isotherm (a proxy for upwelling), indicating that regional upwelling was associated with higher larval fish densities.