Distribution and co-occurrence of Calanoides carinatus and larvae of Sardinella brasiliensis and Engraulis anchoita over the southern Brazilian continental shelf

Abstract

The distribution of adults and juveniles of Calanoides carinatus with co-occurring copepods along two continental shelf transects off São Sebastião-Ubatuba and Paranaguá in the SE and S Brazil respectively, during December to February and May from 1975 to 1977 were studied by analysing plankton samples from 5 stations collected along each transect from 5 m above the bottom to the surface with a 0.333 mm mesh Bongo net. C. carinatus is present over the shelf along both transects only during late spring and early summer (December to February). Its density is approximately 20% and 5% of the mean copepod density estimated for São Sebastião-Ubatuba and Paranaguá respectively. Distribution of C. carinatus coincides with both that of Engraulius anchiota larvae and the spatial distribution of the South Atlantic Central waters over the São Sebastião-Ubatuba shelf from December to February. Both C. carinatus and larvae of Sardinela brasiliensis are locally abundant from December to February but do not co-occur.