Impacts of variability of habitat factors on species composition of ichthyoplankton and distribution of fish spawning ground in the Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent waters

In June and August of 2006, if compared with that in corresponding months in 1986, there are great changes in the habitat factors especially for temperature and salinity in the investigating areas: high salinity water from off-shelf is much closer to the coastal areas which results in the dramatic increase of sea surface salinity during all three surveys. Sea surface temperature, on the other hand, decreases distinctively in June, but significantly increases in August. The run-off of the Changjiang River greatly reduced due to the long-term drought in summer 2006, which is responsible for the great changes of habitat factors in the Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent waters. The habitat of the Changjiang River estuary is greatly changed, which consequently has significant influences on the spawning, breeding and the spatial distribution of spawning ground of neritic water species, such as Sardinella zunasi, Thryssa kammalensis, Thryssa mystax, Setipinna taty and S. commersonii ect, and coastal water species, such as Ilisha elongate and Konosirus punctatus ect.