Larval abundance variation of Bregmaceros cantori Milliken and Houde, 1984, related to the El Ninño events (1987-1996), southern Gulf of Mexico

The influence of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the abundance variation of fish larvae of Bregmaceros cantori in the southern Gulf of Mexico was analyzed. The study was conducted between 1987 and 1996, using 20 oceanographic cruises. The larval abundance of B. cantori was related to: (1) the sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean; (2) the average temperature surface layer, to 30 m, obtained from cruises data; (3) the continental water discharges data from the continental hydrological station nearest to the study area. The variability of B. cantori larval abundance was high throughout the sampling period and no seasonal pattern was detected. During the study period, three events of El Niño occurred: in 1987, 1992 and 1995. Statistical analyses indicated significant differences of the larvae abundance of B. cantori between El Niño and normal years, i.e, years without El Niño. High abundances of fish larvae were found during El Niño years. Higher abundances of B. cantori larvae, during El Niño years, are possibly associated to predator-prey relationships.