NOAA Technical Memorandum
NMFS-AFSC-75
Ichthyoplankton in the eastern Gulf of Alaska, May 1990
Abstract
Ichthyoplankton was collected by oblique bongo net tows at 67 stations in the eastern Gulf of Alaska in May 1990. Stations ranged from nearshore to 230 km offshore. Larvae of 20 families (53 genera, 88 species) and eggs of 4 families (12+ species) of fish were identified. Rockfish (Sebastes spp.) were the most diverse and abundant group of larvae. Rockfish larvae were caught at all stations and made up 56% (5,053) of the larvae sampled. Highest abundances of rockfish larvae (>400/10 m2) were at stations beyond the continental shelf. All rockfish larvae were in the preflexon stage, making identification at the species level difficult. The most commonly occurring rockfish larvae were probably Sebastes flavidus, based on pigment patterns. The relatively high offshore abundance of larvae of inshore rockfish and other shallow-dwelling fishes supports the hypotheses of offshore transport by anticyclonic circulation of the Sitka Eddy, or by freshwater or wind-driven transport in the absence of the Sitka Eddy.
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