DNA sequencing of fish eggs and larvae reveals high species diversity and seasonal changes in spawning activity in the southeastern Gulf of California

Ichthyoplankton studies can provide valuable information on the species richness and spawning activity of fishes, complementing estimations done using trawls and diver surveys. Zooplankton samples were collected weekly between January and December 2014 in Cabo Pulmo National Park, Gulf of California, Mexico (n=48). Fish larvae and particularly eggs are difficult to identify morphologically, therefore the DNA barcoding method was employed to identify 4,388 specimens, resulting in 158 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) corresponding to species. Scarus sp., Halichoeres dispilus, Xyrichtys mundiceps, Euthynnus lineatus, Ammodytoides gilli, Synodus lacertinus, Etrumeus acuminatus, Chanos chanos, Haemulon flaviguttatum, and Vinciguerria lucetia were the most abundant and frequent species recorded. Noteworthy species identified include rare mesopelagic species such as the giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne) and highly migratory and commercially important species such as black skipjack (Euthynnus...

鱼类浮游生物（Ichthyoplankton）研究可提供有关鱼类物种丰富度和产卵活动的宝贵信息，补充通过拖网和潜水员调查获得的估算结果。2014年1月至12月期间，研究人员在墨西哥加利福尼亚湾的卡波普尔莫国家公园（Cabo Pulmo National Park）每周采集浮游动物样本（n=48）。鱼类幼体（尤其是鱼卵）的形态学鉴定难度较大，因此采用DNA条形码（DNA barcoding）方法对4388个样本进行鉴定，得到158个对应物种的操作分类单元（Operational Taxonomic Units, OTUs）。记录到的最丰富且常见的物种包括鹦嘴鱼属某种（Scarus sp.）、迪氏海猪鱼（Halichoeres dispilus）、芒迪氏犁头鳐（Xyrichtys mundiceps）、线纹金枪鱼（Euthynnus lineatus）、吉氏沙鳗（Ammodytoides gilli）、蜥蜴狗母鱼（Synodus lacertinus）、尖吻圆鲹（Etrumeus acuminatus）、遮目鱼（Chanos chanos）、黄点仿石鲈（Haemulon flaviguttatum）以及卢氏梵鰰（Vinciguerria lucetia）。已鉴定出的值得关注的物种包括稀有的中层水域物种（如皇带鱼，Regalecus glesne）以及高度洄游且具有商业重要性的物种（如黑鲣，Euthynnus...）