Distribution patterns, abundance and species composition of the assemblages of fish eggs and larvae in Conception Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, during the early summers of 1990 and 1991 are described.
Several species appear to use Conception Bay as a spawning ground.
Interannual and seasonal differences in both species composition and abundance in the bay appear to be associated with differences in environmental conditions, particularly with temperature. Both egg and larval abundances were lower by an order of magnitude in 1991 corresponding to the coldest and less saline waters. Temperature and wind were the environmental factors most associated with the spatial distribution of eggs. In both years, highest abundances of all species were usually found at the head and the eastern side of the bay, corresponding to the warmest waters under dominant westerly winds. On one occasion, greatest abundances and warmer waters were found on the western side of the bay, concomitant with a southerly wind episode.