Larval fishes off Western Australia: influence of the Leeuwin Current

摘要

Although the poleward flow of the Leeuwin Current off Western Australia is unique among eastern boundary currents in the southern hemisphere, the biological oceanography of this system is comparatively poorly known. In this short review, the findings of the various studies on larval fishes completed off Western Australia are collated, synthesized and related to the influence of the Leeuwin Current. The studies range from light-trap experiments focusing on tropical fish larvae off the north-western coast to studies on larvae of commercially significant temperate clupeiod species in the Great Australian Bight. Larval fish assemblages within the Leeuwin Current appear to be composed of a mixture of oceanic, slope, tropical and temperate coastal species, with strong seasonal variation in species composition. Ichthyoplankton studies in progress off Western Australia are reported on and aim to address gaps in the knowledge about the influence of the Leeuwin Current and its meso-scale features upon larval fishes.