P-14
Summer and Winter Variations in the Engraulidae Eggs of the Southeastern Brazilian Bight

Monday, August 18, 2014
Exhibit Hall 400AB (Centre des congrès de Québec // Québec City Convention Centre)
Jana Menegassi del Favero , Oceanographic Institute/ University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Nayara Carvalho Tannure , Oceanographic Institute/ University of São Paulo
Maria de Lourdes Zani-Teixeira , Oceanographic Institute/ University of São Paulo
Mario Katsuragawa , Oceanographic Institute/ University of São Paulo
Engraulidae eggs and larvae are very abundant and frequent in the southern-southeastern Brazilian coast, being the Engraulis anchoita the most representative species. Their exploitation has recently started in the southern Brazil, so it requires a better understanding of their structure and population dynamics. Some information, as spawning season and area, are obtained through studies on eggs abundance and distribution. To compare the summer/winter frequency of occurrence, abundance and size of four Engraulidae egg types in the southeastern Brazilian Bight, 138 stations (72-summer, 66-winter) were sampled in 2002. A total of 31,612 eggs were collected, being 10,536 of Engraulidae. Engraulis anchoita was the most frequent (23%) and the most abundant species (N=10,334), followed by types B (N=107), A (N=81) and C (N=14). The engraulid eggs tended to be more abundant during summer, although these differences were not significant. Except for the type B, the eggs presented highest frequency of occurrence during the summer (no significant values). Eggs with larger size were sampled in the winter for E. anchoita and type B, and during the summer for type A. It was not possible to calculate the egg size difference for type C due to the small number sampled of these eggs.